Hazing can be foolish or downright dangerous. Here, Keanu Reeves makes her first feature film lead role in Youngblood (1986). Former NHL player Steve Thomas called Keanu “a hell of a goaltender.”
Written by Bernie Fletcher
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are fast approaching, and fans are wondering if the Toronto Maple Leafs are “tough” enough to face the mighty Boston Bruins.
There is a lot of controversy surrounding violence in our national sport. Movies like Slapshot (1977), Youngblood (1986), and The Goon (2009) depicted the dark side of hockey.
A new episode of “Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent,” airing this Thursday, May 2, at 8 p.m. on CITY-TV, deals with the troubling issue of hazing in junior hockey. A player is found near death on the ice. Detectives look for answers from a team called the “Scarborough City Scorpions.”
One teenage player claimed the hazing incident was part of the game, saying, “This was the only way to toughen up the rookies.”
Is violence really part of hockey culture?
The effects of head trauma (CTE) have been in the news recently with the premature death of hockey's “enforcer.” A recent Toronto Star editorial outlined the “tragic cost of hockey brawls.”
The iconic Law & Order series created by Dick Wolf has been a huge success as one of television's longest-running shows.
Each episode promises a story inspired by a real-life crime investigation that is “taken from the headlines,” but with a disclaimer that these events and characters are fictional. Was the mayor caught on video smoking a cigarette? Hmm, so nostalgic! “Dun, dun”
Toronto's diverse landmarks are featured on the show, including Nathan Phillips Square, Union Station, City Hall, The Island, Cherry Beach, and Gerrard India Bazaar.
Cameras don't avoid the CN Tower any more than Hollywood movies disguise our city as New York or Chicago.
On November 6th of last year, the Law & Order crew was filming near Woodbine Beach, but the episode may not have aired yet.
In case you're wondering about Detective Graff's accent, Aiden Young was born in Toronto in 1971, but immigrated to Australia with his family in 1981. His father, Chip Young, was his CBC producer who wrote “Honky the Christmas Goose'' and convinced the late great detective to do it. Johnny Bower recorded this song in 1965. Bower was a better goaltender than Singer and helped the Leafs win the Stanley Cup four times. Ah, the good old days!
While “Slapshot'' satirized the violence of hockey, “Youngblood'' reflected the fighting spirit of the time.
Leafs owner Conn Smythe claimed, “If you can't beat them in the alley, you can't beat them on the ice.”
Rob Lowe stars in Youngblood as an accomplished American player who tries to compete in a Canadian junior league but doesn't know how to fight. A brawl breaks out and Youngblood is forced to learn how to fight. This movie depicts violence as a necessary element of the game.
YUNGBLUD was filmed at Ted Reeve Arena and Scarborough Arena on Birchmount Road. NHL players such as Peter Zezel, Steve Thomas, and Erik Nesterenko made cameos.
The late Peter Zezel was a real son of Scarborough and a direct descendant of pioneers David and Mary Thomson. He grew up on Lakeside His Avenue in the Cliff District, and his family operated Alpine His Cleaners on Queen Street East near Lee's Avenue.
Peter Zezel was a true gentleman on and off the ice and was so popular in the community that he was named 'The Zezel Way' in Scarborough after his death from a rare blood disorder in 2009. Zezel scored the game-winning goal in overtime for the Leafs in the 1994 playoffs.
Ted Nikolov plays an assistant coach on YUNGBLUD. I knew Ted as a teacher and was sad to hear of his passing in 2021.
Ted grew up on Lawler Avenue and played on Adam Beck's championship school baseball team in 1955. Ted appeared in movies and television under the name Walker Boone.
Leafs fans may be heartbroken again this time, but there will be next year too, right?
Go Leaf Go!
