There are a lot of great hockey movies out there, but sometimes finding them online can be harder than getting a Gordie Howe hat trick (score a goal, record an assist, and get in a fight in a single game). However, we’ve done our best to go through and find some of the best sports movies that involve hockey, including documentaries.
Here are 14 great hockey movies that will scratch the itch, whether you’re looking for a tried and true classic or something that may have slipped between the cracks over the years.
Indian Horse (2017)
The 2017 sports drama film, Indian Horse, chronicles the life of Saul Indian Horse, a young Canadian First Nations boy with dreams of becoming a star hockey player despite coming from humble beginnings. Over the course of the film, Saul, who is played by various actors as the story progresses, survives the Indian residential school system, finds success on the ice, and rises through the system in an attempt to make his dreams come true.
Heartbreaking and triumphant, Indian Horse is an emotional experience that doesn’t shy away from tackling intense situations, but on and off the ice.
Stream Indian Horse on Netflix.
Slap Shot (1977)
The 1977 cult classic Slap Shot is probably one of the most beloved hockey movies out there. With a cast headlined by Paul Newman as Reggie Dunlop, the down on his luck player/coach of the minor league outfit Charlestown Chiefs, this violent, raunchy, and all around fun sports movie follows what is believed to be the final season of downtrodden team before it folds after the local mill plans to cut 10,000 jobs. Things change, however, when Dunlop brings in the Hanson Brothers (played by Steve Carlson, Jeff Carlson, and David Hanson), who debut a brutal and unorthodox style of hockey, bringing in droves of fans.
What this movie lacks in glitz, glamor, and big name hockey stars, it makes up for it with punchy dialogue, a great underdog story, and buckets of blood and broken teeth. Plus, the "Old-time hockey" speech remains to be one of the greatest locker room speeches in sports movie history.
Goalie (2019)
Adriana Maggs’ 2019 sports drama, Goalie, tells the story of famed Canadian goaltender Terry Sawchuck, who was the all-time leader in his position at the time of his death in 1970. The movie follows Terry (Mark O’Brien) as works his way to the highest tier of professional hockey while also focusing a great deal on his life off the ice.
Kevin Pollack and Georgina Reilly show up in meaningful roles as Terry’s mentor and wife, respectively, both of whom add to the intensity of this sports drama.
Stream Goalie on Tubi.
Rent/Buy Goalie on Amazon.
Miracle (2004)
The "Miracle On Ice" will forever go down as one of the quintessential moments in Olympic history. With a squad made up of mostly college players, the United States National Hockey Team took down the heavily-favored Soviet Union in an epic matchup during the 1980 Winter Olympics hockey tournament. The event was brought to the big screens with the Disney-produced Miracle in 2004, which follows Kurt Russell as U.S. coach Herb Brooks as he puts together his team all the way to the iconic game in Lake Placid.
Miracle is about as inspirational as a family-friendly sports movie gets. To call this movie (and the story on which it is based) an underdog story would be doing the team and this emotional movie a disservice of epic proportions. If you want to feel good about and see some great hockey action, give this one a shot.
Stream Miracle on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Miracle on Amazon.
The Mighty Ducks (1992)
Say what you will about the legality of the Flying V play displayed in the 1992 children's sports movie The Mighty Ducks, but you'd be lying if you said you didn't jump to your feet and pump your fists at your local theater when you first saw that scene back in the day. Everyone and their mother was obsessed with the team of outcasts, misfits, and the former prodigy-turned-attorney leading them as they pull together and take on the fearsome Hawks to the delight of just about everyone.
Another fun game to play with The Mighty Ducks is to imagine that the hockey story is just the b-plot and that the movie is really about Charlie (Joshua Jackson) really wanting his mom, Casey Conway (Heidi Kling) to marry Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez). It adds a whole other layer to this classic..
Stream The Mighty Ducks on Disney+.
Rent/Buy The Mighty Ducks on Amazon.
Goon (2011)
Co-written by Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg (writer of films like Superbad, Pineapple Express, and This Is The End), Goon, is probably one of the most hard-hitting and raucous minor league hockey movies since Slap Shot. Starring Sean William Scott as Doug "The Thug" Glatt, a dim-witted bouncer who is hired by a Canadian hockey team as an enforcer, this funny sports comedy shows the greasy and unsophisticated side of the violent sport. And with a cast that also includes Liev Schreiber, Alison Pill, and Jay Baruchel, there are as many laughs as punches.
Fans of minor league hockey will surely enjoy this cult classic in the making, especially for how it accurately portrays the teams and leagues where skill on the ice isn't the most important quality of a hockey player.
Stream Goon on Hulu.
Stream Goon on Peacock.
Stream Goon on Prime Video.
Hockeyland (2022)
Texas is known for its love of high school football, and the same goes for Indiana with basketball, but in Minnesota’s North Country, ice hockey is where it’s at. Tommy Haines’ 2022 sports documentary, Hockeyland, explores the relationship between the state and the sport by highlighting the long-standing rivalry between two high schools on different trajectories and the young athletes that make up the squads.
As gripping as some of the best films in ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, and as emotional as something you’d see nominated for the Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, Hockeyland captures the essence of the sport and the fire driving the young athletes to be the best of the best, but also the heart and soul of the place they call home.
Rent/Buy Hockeyland on Amazon.
Mystery, Alaska (1999)
Although it may not be the most well-remembered hockey movie to come out in the past 20+ years, Mystery, Alaska is a damn good time. Set in a small town in Alaska that is thrown into the spotlight when the New York Rangers announce an exhibition game against the local team, the 1999 film follows the town's residents as they come to terms with their pasts and look towards taking on a professional team on their home ice.
While there isn’t as much hockey as other movies on this list, Mystery, Alaska, has a lot of heart, soul, and unforgettable characters like John Biebe, one of Russell Crowe’s best performances. And who doesn't love seeing professional sports teams playing games on a makeshift outdoor hockey rink?
Rent/Buy Mystery, Alaska on Amazon.
Okay, okay, the 1995 Jean-Claude Van Damme thriller Sudden Death isn't the typical hockey movie. Hell, it's not even really a sports movie. But answer me this… what other hockey movie features one of the most ridiculous action stars of the 1980s and 1990s disguising himself as a goalie in the middle of an NHL game? In this action flick, Van Damme plays a former fireman Darren McCord who happens to be at the right place at the right time when a group of terrorists holds the vice president hostage at the Stanley Cup Finals.
Like pretty much every other Jean-Claude Van Damme movie, only the Belgian martial artist can save the day, the vice president, and thousands of hockey fans before the whole building is destroyed. And with some of the biggest names in hockey of the era, names like Mario Lemieux and Luc Robitaille, what's not to love about this Die Hard clone?
Rent/Buy Sudden Death on Amazon.
Red Army (2014)
For years, the Soviet Union’s national hockey team was seen as less of a group of premier athletes and more of a pack of wolves that would stop at nothing to secure a victory. Gabe Polsky’s 2014 documentary film, Red Army, takes a peeak behind the Iron Curtain and dives into the formidable squad that dominated on the international scene throughout the Cold War, and the implications of its success.
In-depth interviews, restored archival footage, and tales of hockey glory all make Red Army a must-watch not only for fans of the sport, but anyone who wants to know more about the team and its successes.
Canadian Bacon (1995)
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michael Moore has only made one non-documentary film. That movie happens to be the 1995 comedy, Canadian Bacon, which depicts a fictional war between the United States and Canada that kicks off after Bud Boomer (John Candy) ignites a fight between Canadian and American hockey fans after making fun of Canadian beer. The conflict also has something to do with the President of the United States (played by Alan Alda) trying to improve his approval rating by starting a war.
The hockey is minimal in Canadian Bacon, but it is central to the plot, and we see one of the greatest big-screen hockey style fights when the Americans and Canadians start a massive brawl.
Stream Canadian Bacon on Pluto.
Stream Canadian Bacon on Tubi.
Happy Gilmore (1996)
Purists may argue that Happy Gilmore isn't a hockey movie, but come on, if Adam Sandler's character wouldn't have been rejected from joining his local squad (can't skate, no accuracy, but can fight and has one hell of a slap shot), he never would have been invited to join the Pro Golf Tour and defeat the greatest villain of 1996, Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald). Hell, Happy even uses a hockey stick/golf club hybrid throughout the movie. And he's wearing a Boston Bruins jersey while getting his ass kicked by the late Bob Barker.
With all the attitude and none of the skill of hockey, Happy Gilmore is one of the most hilarious movies, and don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.
Stream Happy Gilmore on Starz.
Rent/Buy Happy Gilmore on Amazon.
The Rookies (1989)
There are some pretty popular hockey movies out there and then there are ones like the 1989 made-for-TV drama The Rookies, which centers around Cory Dyson (Yannick Bisson), a 17-year-old hockey standout who leaves his small town in hopes of earning a spot on the Canadian National Team. This movie has it all — a hotshot teenager learning that the world is bigger than his hometown, a rivalry with an enemy turned friend who wants to get back to the NHL, and a love story.
The Rookies is pretty hard to find, and most people probably haven't even heard of it before now, so don't miss your opportunity to check it out on Amazon.
The Cutting Edge (1992)
And then there is the 1992 romantic comedy The Cutting Edge from Paul Michael Glaser. The film follows Doug Dorsey (D.B. Sweeney), a hockey player sidelined by a nasty injury as he is paired with Kate Moseley (Moira Kelly) for figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics. Okay, this isn't your traditional hockey movie, it's not even really a hockey movie, but Dorsey brings some of his skills behind the stick to the figure skating world with tremendous success.
Anyone who loves hockey but has a soft side will probably enjoy The Cutting Edge. And plus, you don't have to tell anyone that you're watching it, just go to Showtime and you're good to go.
Stream The Cutting Edge on Tubi.
Buy The Cutting Edge on Amazon.
Those are just some of the great hockey movies available for streaming or online rental. Some of these are classics while others will maybe one day be seen in the same light. In the meantime, make sure to check back on everything streaming here at CinemaBlend.
