Adam Proteau rewinds to 1986 with one of hockey's most beloved classics. It tells an underdog story of grit and toughness while featuring many stars of the ice and the screen.
Enforcers Week continues all week long at The Hockey News, and Adam Proteau has a mini-series recalling some of the most memorable hockey tough-guy films. Today, we rewind to the 1986 film, Youngblood.
Film Name: Youngblood
Cast: Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Cynthia Gibb, George Finn, Ed Lauter – and cameo appearances from Keanu Reeves, Steve Thomas and Peter Zezel
Critical/Viewer Reception: 68 percent audience approval, 44 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes
Plot Summary: An American fledgling hockey star (Rob Lowe) moves to Canada to pursue his competitive dreams, only to find himself discouraged and disposed of after being physically bullied by an enforcer opponent. Lowe’s character, “Dean Youngblood,” retreats from the team and nearly leaves the sport completely before his brother and father teach him how to fight for himself.
With his confidence restored, Youngblood returns to on-ice action, pummels the bully who had hurt him, and scores on a penalty shot in the Memorial Cup final to win it all. There’s a happy ending waiting for viewers, and while you know it’s coming, it’s still a fun watch.
Why Hockey Players Love It
The hockey world was flattered by the participation of heartthrobs Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze in this 1986 film, which was shot at two of Toronto’s most famous hockey venues, Ted Reeve Arena and St. Michael’s Arena. Canadian acting icon Keanu Reeves had a small role as a goaltender, and famous NHL forwards Steve Thomas and the late Peter Zezel participated as players.
It’s a typical underdog overcoming adversity type of story, and although the ending is predictable, director Peter Markle – who went on to direct John Candy’s final movie, Wagons East – crafted a cult classic you could still show to any player of the game and draw their interest.
Why Hockey Fans Love It
Everybody loves seeing bullies get their comeuppance, right? That’s what Youngblood gives its viewers. Seeing Lowe and the late Swayze as very young men is part of the film’s enduring appeal, and hard-core fans will appreciate seeing Zezel, Thomas and Reeves in their quick appearances in the movie.
This was never going to win an Academy Award, but it is one of Hollywood’s most notable adaptations of a hockey story, and Markle found a way to make it stand out, even after all these years. The movie industry has often struggled to convey the cornerstone components of the game, but though Youngblood doesn’t hit all its storytelling targets with complete precision, it does function as a memorable tale.
Biggest Takeaway
The “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” moral of this story resonates with fans who were around when the movie was first released, as well as fans who have since joined the hockey community. Lowe wasn’t a natural hockey player, but he did take skating lessons, and clever editing by Markle masks that fact and makes the whole affair plausible. There are some thoroughly corny moments in the movie, but the spirit of the film is what has kept it lodged firmly in the hearts of fans to this day.
As frequently happens now with many movies, Youngblood is being pegged for a remake, but the new project’s director, Charles Officer, has experience as a former player in the British Pro Hockey League, giving him legitimacy on the hockey side of the film. No casting has been announced yet, but the new movie will be hard-pressed to equal or improve on the star power the original movie had with Lowe and Swayze.