If you were born before 1980, chances are Youngblood is one of your favorite hockey movies after Slap Shot. Heck, it might even be your favorite. Whereas the 1977 comedy lampooned hockey’s violence, 1986’s Youngblood portrayed it as a necessary part of the game, while also highlighting hockey’s grace and skill. The film stars Rob Lowe as Dean Youngblood, who leaves his family farm in upstate New York to play junior hockey for the Hamilton Mustangs. Although he can skate and score, he can’t fight. He tries to fit in with his teammates, woos his coach’s daughter and in the end has to stand up to the league’s biggest bully.
Thirty years later, Youngblood stands tall as one of hockey’s cult classics.