The Making of Slap Shot: Behind the Scenes of the Greatest Hockey Movie Ever Made

How a movie about minor league hockey became a box office hit-and an international cult classic

Even thirty-odd years after Slap Shot's release, diehard hockey fans can still recite scenes of dialogue by heart, making lines like "putting on the foil" just common argot for the devoted. Yet many may be surprised to learn that the true story behind the making of the film is as captivating as the film itself. In The Making of Slap Shot, veteran sports writer Jonathon Jackson lets fans not only relive just how the film was made, but brings to light surprising facts (i.e., Al Pacino was the first choice for the role of Reggie Dunlop; almost every scene-even the absurd and unbelievable ones-depicts a real life event). With access to those involved in the making of the film, he brings to life some of the magic behind the creation of memorable scenes and characters, especially the Charleston Chiefs, one of the most popular fictional sports teams in history.

• Based on interviews with over 50 cast members, production staff, and anyone of note involved in the film's creation

Destined to be a collectible and keepsake (along with the jerseys, bobbleheads, and other paraphernalia associated with the film), The Making of Slapshot is a must for fans eager to learn even more about their favorite film.

JONATHON JACKSON’s journalism career began in his hometown of Owen Sound, Ontario, where he was far too young to see Slap Shot at the Roxy Theatre in the summer of 1977. Jackson worked as a general assignment news and sports reporter at the Owen Sound Sun Times daily newspaper for 16 years, and was part of a three-man team that won a Western Ontario Newspaper Award for spot news coverage of a deadly tainted water crisis in 2000. An article he wrote about Owen Sound hockey legend Pat McReavy was cited as an honorable mention in The Best American Sports Writing 2009. Jackson’s byline has appeared in many newspapers across Canada, including the National Post, the Montreal Gazette, the Ottawa Citizen, the Calgary Herald, the Edmonton Journal and the Hamilton Spectator. He is also a freelance writer who has written about a variety of topics, including news, sports, entertainment and history, for Maclean’s magazine, The Hockey News, OHA Blueline, and several other publications. He lives in Owen Sound with his family.