An Ode to Slap Shot's Dickie Dunn, a.k.a. M. Emmet Walsh

The distinguished character actor, who died at the age of 88 this week, will be forever known by hockey fans as the scribe who chronicled the Johnstown Chiefs.

There is not a hockey writer in the world who has not occasionally uttered the phrase, "I'm trying to capture the spirit of the thing."

It was a line made famous by M. Emmet Walsh, who played Dickie Dunn in Slap Shot, which is without debate one of the greatest sports movies of all-time. Walsh didn't have a huge part in the film, but he played it to perfection.

"Dickie Dunn wrote it. It must be true!" is another enduring line. When he describes, "the bright colors of their jerseys flashing against the milky ice," Chiefs' player-coach Reg Dunlop can only respond with, "That's good writin' Dickie."

So let's take a moment to remember Dickie Dunn and appreciate everything he brought to the world of hockey journalism. I saw that the Professional Hockey Writers' Association is soliciting candidates for the Elmer Ferguson Award. I can think of nobody more worthy than Dickie Dunn.

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