THE TOP 5 HOCKEY MOVIES

With the Oscars set to kick off in just a few hours, let's count down the top five hockey movies ever made. Before we begin the list, here are a few movies you won't see: MVP: Most Valuable Primate, Sudden Death, or The Love Guru. Sorry to fans of those films, but they just aren't quite good enough for the list. Here are the top five.

5. Mystery, Alaska
Russell Crowe stars in this film about hockey in a small Alaskan town that is chosen to host a televised exhibition game against the New York Rangers. Jay Roach directed the 1999 comedy, and the movie gets extra points for Mike Myers portrayal of hockey announcer Donnie Shulzhoffer, a comedic character based on the hilarious Don Cherry.

4. The Rocket
This 2005 Canadian movie focuses on Maurice Richard coming into the NHL in a time when French Canadians were rare in the league. The trailer makes it seem like a corny Disney movie (the voiceover really does it), but the hockey scenes look great. Not that there is anything wrong with corny Disney movies. Movies like...

3. The Mighty Ducks
OK. It's a bit unrealistic. Emilio Estevez's greatest role (don't even try to deny it) as coach Gordon Bombay who turns a bunch of misfit kids into champions. Of course, I'm only talking about the first one, as D2 was pretty average, and let's pretend The Mighty Ducks 3 never even happened. Just remember, Ducks fly together.

2. Miracle
This 2004 movie tells the tale of the Miracle on Ice, when the United States hockey team defeated the heavily favored Soviet team in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Kurt Russell stars as head coach Herb Brooks, the plaid laden leader of the gold medal winning Americans.

1. Slap Shot
What else would have been number one? Paul Newman, plus the Hanson brothers, make Slap Shot the best hockey movie of all-time, and one that will probably never be topped.