Latest news with #SlapShot
New York Post
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Slap Shot' actor, hockey player Guido Tenesi dead at 71: ‘You're forever a Chief'
Former professional hockey player Guido Tenesi, who starred in the 1977 sports classic 'Slap Shot,' died at 71 years old. 'We're saddened to learn of the passing of Guido Tenesi, a member of our roster during the 1974 Calder Cup championship, and was known to many more for his role as Billy Charlebois in the classic hockey film 'Slapshot,' the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League posted Thursday. 'Our hearts are with his family, friends, and teammates.' A cause of death was not announced. Advertisement 3 Guido Tenesi played Billy Charlebois in the 1977 sports movie 'Slap Shot.' Guido Tenesi/IMDB Tenesi, a defenseman, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round of the NHL Draft in 1973 and played for minor-league affiliate Hershey for two years. He played across several pro hockey leagues over the next seven seasons. Advertisement It was his time on the Johnstown Jets, where he helped lead the team to the North American Hockey League championship in 1974-75, that landed him a role in the Paul Newman comedy. 'I played on the same team as Ned Dowd, Dave Hanson, and the Carlsons. Ned would walk around with a tape recorder, and taking notes on everything that happened on one of our road trips,' Tenesi told the Utica Observer-Dispatch in 2016. 'If someone tripped on the ice, or if a player broke their stick and threw it over the glass, Ned recorded it.' 3 Actors from Slapshot Guido Tenesi and Jean Tetreault attend the Sports Card Expo at the International Centre on November 12, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Getty Images Dowd's sister Nancy was writing a hockey movie and Ned would play Chiefs' opponent Ogie Ogilthorpe. Advertisement 'It was neat, being in a movie,' Tenesi said. 'How they made it, is what was so interesting to me.' Slap Shot tells the tale of a failing minor league hockey team, the Charlestown Chiefs, who are led by player and coach Reggie Dunlop, played by Newman. In 2020, Tenesi recalled his time filming the movie as the 'good old days' and 'a time to remember,' sharing a photo alongside Newman, who died in 2008. Steve Carlson, who played Steve Hanson — the youngest sibling of the beloved fighting trio in the film — mourned Tenesi as a 'good guy gone too soon.' Advertisement 'RIP Guido Tenesi 'Pretty boy' Good guy gone too soon,' Carlson posted. 'On behalf of myself and Vicki We send our heartfelt condolences. He always had HONOR and Class. Prayers for comfort to the entire family and my fellow teammates and co actors who experience yet another loss of the teammate.' Tenesi won the 1975 Lockhart Cup as a champion with the Jets and in 1979 was the IHL's Governor Trophy winner, awarded to the league's top defenseman. 3 Michael Ontkean, Paul Newman and Guido Tenesi in 'Slap Shot.' Guido Tenesi / Facebook The cult classic hockey film served as Tenesi's lone acting credit. After he retired from hockey in 1987, he worked as a swimming pool technician in Toronto. 'He never chased fame. He never needed to. For those who knew, Guido Tenesi was the real deal — an unfiltered, unforgettable part of hockey lore,' Carlson said, adding, 'Whether you remember him for his on-ice grit, his international pride, or his silver-screen cool in Slap Shot, Guido Tenesi stood for something rare: authenticity. He brought truth to the game, truth to the screen, and truth to what it meant to live as a player, not a character. 'Rest easy, #5 — you're forever a Chief.' Advertisement Jeff Carlson, who played Jeff Hanson, also paid tribute on Facebook. 'Very sad to say that we have lost another brother, castmate, friend and great family man as Guido Tenesi has passed away. We send prayers out to his loving wife Leslie and there whole family. Guido was a great hockey player but a even better person. I along with so many others will miss our great friend. R.I.P Guido we will never forget you.'
Ottawa Citizen
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Cowan: Canadiens prospect Florian Xhekaj really is a unicorn
Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent described Florian Xhekaj's rookie season as 'remarkable.' Article content It really was — especially for a 20-year-old forward who was selected in the fourth round (101st overall) at the 2023 NHL Draft. The Xhekaj name on the back of his sweater — and the tough-guy reputation his older brother Arber has established in the NHL with the Canadiens — made things even tougher. Article content Article content Article content 'Especially with his last name — there were expectations,' Vincent said about the younger Xhekaj last Friday when members of the Rocket met with the media for the last time this season after getting swept by the Charlotte Checkers in the Eastern Conference final. 'He hasn't played a game yet and the referees are already telling him: 'Relax.'' Article content Article content It was sort of like being a Hanson brother in the classic Slap Shot movie from 1977. Article content Article content Vincent said he didn't have a lot of expectations for Xhekaj as an AHL rookie and added that nobody expected him to score 24 goals. Article content But that's what 6-foot-4, 195-pounder did, to go along with 11 assists, a league-leading 175 penalty minutes and a plus-10 differential. Xhekaj was also learning to play centre after being a left-winger in junior with the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs, posting 34-31-65 totals in 63 games during the 2023-24 season to go along with 81 penalty minutes and a plus-17. Article content Article content 'He scored a lot of goals,' Vincent said about Xhekaj's rookie season in the AHL. 'His shot is amazing. He's got a quick release, accurate, too. But I didn't know about his brain and, to me, that's the thing that intrigues me the most. How they (young players) manage expectations. How they manage and how can they apply info that we give them and to do it right away on the ice or how long does it take for you to gather the info and execute on the ice at a very high speed. For me to see Flo gathering those informations and teachings and to do it on the ice and to execute at the speed he did in his first year with his last name — because the other teams on the other side, they know — this kid has this confidence and he's walking the line. He's not cocky, but he's confident that he can be the man. He's still physically not there yet, but in his mind … so I was quite impressed with him.
Montreal Gazette
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Cowan: Canadiens prospect Florian Xhekaj really is a unicorn
By Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent described Florian Xhekaj's rookie season as 'remarkable.' It really was — especially for a 20-year-old forward who was selected in the fourth round (101st overall) at the 2023 NHL Draft. The Xhekaj name on the back of his sweater — and the tough-guy reputation his older brother Arber has established in the NHL with the Canadiens — made things even tougher. 'Especially with his last name — there were expectations,' Vincent said about the younger Xhekaj last Friday when members of the Rocket met with the media for the last time this season after getting swept by the Charlotte Checkers in the Eastern Conference final. 'He hasn't played a game yet and the referees are already telling him: 'Relax.'' It was sort of like being a Hanson brother in the classic Slap Shot movie from 1977. Vincent said he didn't have a lot of expectations for Xhekaj as an AHL rookie and added that nobody expected him to score 24 goals. But that's what 6-foot-4, 195-pounder did, to go along with 11 assists, a league-leading 175 penalty minutes and a plus-10 differential. Xhekaj was also learning to play centre after being a left-winger in junior with the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs, posting 34-31-65 totals in 63 games during the 2023-24 season to go along with 81 penalty minutes and a plus-17. 'He scored a lot of goals,' Vincent said about Xhekaj's rookie season in the AHL. 'His shot is amazing. He's got a quick release, accurate, too. But I didn't know about his brain and, to me, that's the thing that intrigues me the most. How they (young players) manage expectations. How they manage and how can they apply info that we give them and to do it right away on the ice or how long does it take for you to gather the info and execute on the ice at a very high speed. For me to see Flo gathering those informations and teachings and to do it on the ice and to execute at the speed he did in his first year with his last name — because the other teams on the other side, they know — this kid has this confidence and he's walking the line. He's not cocky, but he's confident that he can be the man. He's still physically not there yet, but in his mind ... so I was quite impressed with him. 'We know about the toughness and all of that,' Vincent added. 'But for him to play the way he did in a position that's really hard to learn as a centre to improve. Early in the season he couldn't win a draw, or it was really hard, and then he got better. He's a thinker and he's a great teammate. Guys love him. We're very fortunate to have him. Very impressed with him. Not so much the goals and stuff, but how he executed the details that we talked about. And because of that I think he scored goals.' The Xhekaj brothers lived together this season in Montreal — but they probably weren't playing with toy cars like the Hansons in Slap Shot. Arber spoke this season about how he was hard on his brother, who is three years younger, while they were growing up in Hamilton along with sisters Sophia and Dominika. 'For me, I was the hardest guy on him because my dad was hard on me and then my dad was not hard on the youngest child,' Arber said. 'So that pissed me off. I'm like, OK, if you're not going to do it, I'll do it. 'It's all love at the end of the day,' Arber added. 'I'm the first guy there for him. I think I saw his potential and I knew what he had and I knew I just had to dig deep for it. So I was hard on him and he pulled it off. He's a good player.' Another person who saw the younger Xhekaj's potential was Nick Bobrov, the Canadiens' co-director of amateur scouting. Bobrov described Xhekaj as a 'unicorn' ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. Xhekaj was ranked 131st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting heading into the draft. 'To me, I'd personally like to walk away with that guy,' Bobrov said about Florian in a behind-the-scenes video the Canadiens released of a scouting meeting held ahead of the 2023 draft in Nashville. Xhekaj showed his versatility and why he is a 'unicorn' by playing on all four lines this season with Laval while making the adjustment to playing centre. 'I can score goals, I can make plays,' he said. 'But I'm also a physical kind of in-your-face player. I think those are good tools to have to be put in any line, any role.' Xhekaj said his main goal this summer is to add more weight and muscle. When asked to assess his rookie AHL season, he said: 'I think it was pretty good. My first year pro and everyone was so great, so welcoming. I feel like I've grown a lot as a person and a player, so a lot of positives.'
Edmonton Journal
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
Cowan: Canadiens prospect Florian Xhekaj really is a unicorn
Article content 'Especially with his last name — there were expectations,' Vincent said about the younger Xhekaj last Friday when members of the Rocket met with the media for the last time this season after getting swept by the Charlotte Checkers in the Eastern Conference final. 'He hasn't played a game yet and the referees are already telling him: 'Relax.'' It was sort of like being a Hanson brother in the classic Slap Shot movie from 1977. Vincent said he didn't have a lot of expectations for Xhekaj as an AHL rookie and added that nobody expected him to score 24 goals. But that's what 6-foot-4, 195-pounder did, to go along with 11 assists, a league-leading 175 penalty minutes and a plus-10 differential. Xhekaj was also learning to play centre after being a left-winger in junior with the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs, posting 34-31-65 totals in 63 games during the 2023-24 season to go along with 81 penalty minutes and a plus-17.
Vancouver Sun
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Cowan: Canadiens prospect Florian Xhekaj really is a unicorn
Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent described Florian Xhekaj's rookie season as 'remarkable.' It really was — especially for a 20-year-old forward who was selected in the fourth round (101st overall) at the 2023 NHL Draft. The Xhekaj name on the back of his sweater — and the tough-guy reputation his older brother Arber has established in the NHL with the Canadiens — made things even tougher. 'Especially with his last name — there were expectations,' Vincent said about the younger Xhekaj last Friday when members of the Rocket met with the media for the last time this season after getting swept by the Charlotte Checkers in the Eastern Conference final. 'He hasn't played a game yet and the referees are already telling him: 'Relax.'' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. It was sort of like being a Hanson brother in the classic Slap Shot movie from 1977. Vincent said he didn't have a lot of expectations for Xhekaj as an AHL rookie and added that nobody expected him to score 24 goals. But that's what 6-foot-4, 195-pounder did, to go along with 11 assists, a league-leading 175 penalty minutes and a plus-10 differential. Xhekaj was also learning to play centre after being a left-winger in junior with the OHL's Brantford Bulldogs, posting 34-31-65 totals in 63 games during the 2023-24 season to go along with 81 penalty minutes and a plus-17. 'He scored a lot of goals,' Vincent said about Xhekaj's rookie season in the AHL. 'His shot is amazing. He's got a quick release, accurate, too. But I didn't know about his brain and, to me, that's the thing that intrigues me the most. How they (young players) manage expectations. How they manage and how can they apply info that we give them and to do it right away on the ice or how long does it take for you to gather the info and execute on the ice at a very high speed. For me to see Flo gathering those informations and teachings and to do it on the ice and to execute at the speed he did in his first year with his last name — because the other teams on the other side, they know — this kid has this confidence and he's walking the line. He's not cocky, but he's confident that he can be the man. He's still physically not there yet, but in his mind … so I was quite impressed with him. 'We know about the toughness and all of that,' Vincent added. 'But for him to play the way he did in a position that's really hard to learn as a centre to improve. Early in the season he couldn't win a draw, or it was really hard, and then he got better. He's a thinker and he's a great teammate. Guys love him. We're very fortunate to have him. Very impressed with him. Not so much the goals and stuff, but how he executed the details that we talked about. And because of that I think he scored goals.' The Xhekaj brothers lived together this season in Montreal — but they probably weren't playing with toy cars like the Hansons in Slap Shot. Arber spoke this season about how he was hard on his brother, who is three years younger, while they were growing up in Hamilton along with sisters Sophia and Dominika. 'For me, I was the hardest guy on him because my dad was hard on me and then my dad was not hard on the youngest child,' Arber said. 'So that pissed me off. I'm like, OK, if you're not going to do it, I'll do it. 'It's all love at the end of the day,' Arber added. 'I'm the first guy there for him. I think I saw his potential and I knew what he had and I knew I just had to dig deep for it. So I was hard on him and he pulled it off. He's a good player.' Another person who saw the younger Xhekaj's potential was Nick Bobrov, the Canadiens' co-director of amateur scouting. Bobrov described Xhekaj as a 'unicorn' ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft. Xhekaj was ranked 131st among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting heading into the draft. 'To me, I'd personally like to walk away with that guy,' Bobrov said about Florian in a behind-the-scenes video the Canadiens released of a scouting meeting held ahead of the 2023 draft in Nashville. Xhekaj showed his versatility and why he is a 'unicorn' by playing on all four lines this season with Laval while making the adjustment to playing centre. 'I can score goals, I can make plays,' he said. 'But I'm also a physical kind of in-your-face player. I think those are good tools to have to be put in any line, any role.' Xhekaj said his main goal this summer is to add more weight and muscle. When asked to assess his rookie AHL season, he said: 'I think it was pretty good. My first year pro and everyone was so great, so welcoming. I feel like I've grown a lot as a person and a player, so a lot of positives.' Indeed.
