Kraft Hockeyville USA is heading to Johnstown, Penn., the city that inspired the movie Slap Shot, and Marc-Andre Fleury did his best Denis Lemieux impression to promote the game. In a reenactment of the film’s opening scene, Fleury explains the finer points of hockey.
Kraft Hockeyville USA is heading to Johnstown, Penn., the city that inspired the movie Slap Shot, and Marc-Andre Fleury did his best Denis Lemieux impression to promote the game. In a reenactment of the film’s opening scene, Fleury explains the finer points of hockey.
Before Kraft Hockeyville USA takes to Johnstown, Penn., for a pre-season game between the Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay, Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury wanted to take some time out of his day to teach fans the finer points of hockey.
In a word-for-word reenactment of the opening scene of classic hockey film Slap Shot, Fleury, playing Charlestown Chiefs goaltender Denis Lemieux, details some of the rules of the game before the NHL takes over Johnstown. It’s a fitting scene to use to promote the game, too, because Johnstown was the home of the team that inspired Slap Shot.
How Fleury kept a straight face through the whole thing, especially when reciting Lemieux’s ranting when it comes to penalties, is beyond us.
-When in Johnstown... https://t.co/XUFLf0dF8y
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) September 8, 2015
It’s hard to believe it has been nearly 40 years since Slap Shot was released. Denis Lemieux's lines live on through Fleury, but some credit should be given to ROOT Sports' Dan Potash, who plays broadcaster Jim Carr perfectly, including letting out the squeal when Fleury shows off what a spearing penalty looks like.
While this doesn’t exactly have us wondering what a remake of Slap Shot would look like — you don’t mess with a classic — it does leave us wanting more vignettes from either the Penguins or Lightning to promote the upcoming Hockeyville game. Imagine Crosby, Malkin and Kessel as the Hansons? Or Steven Stamkos as Ogie Ogilthorpe? The possibilities are endless.
And after all, with Pittsburgh up for sale, it might be the perfect time for Fleury to get back in costume and ask, a la Denis Lemieux, “Who owns… ownsss… the Penguins?”