The hockey world has given us some pretty awful commercials over the years, but it’s also mixed in a few gems.
Bobby Goepfert (from our previous post) shared a classic the other day and reminded me just how awesome Nike did it there for a little while. I miss those commerials.
Before we take a second to remember those, here’s a look at a new one featuring the New Jersey Devils own David Clarkson, complete with Canadian accent. It can’t touch the Nike ones of old I don’t think, but hey, not bad hustle on Clarkson’s part, right?
Nice job when you consider hockey players are notoriously horrific actors.
So where does it rank in the hierarchy of great hockey commercials? Can it compete with the great Nike ones of old? (Short answer: no.)
My personal top 3, all Nike:
Number 3:
The one Goepfert passed along….
“Pokecheck!”
Number 2:
I don’t know why, after all these years, I still love this one as much as I do…but I do.
And Numero Uno….
HOLY CRAP THAT’S FINCH FROM THE AMERICAN PIE MOVIES AND MAC FROM IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA.
I can’t believe those two guys are in that commercial. What an amazing ad.
Those Nike commercials will take you down the rabbit hole of awesome, you can waste hours. There’s the landscaper, a cab driver, Mats Sundin likes ABBA, a homeless goalie, “Sergei, your mother wears red army boots…” it’s endless.
Any recommendations to add to the list of awesome hockey commercials?
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(Once again, full disclosure: I do some work for Easton as well and there’s some of their products in the Clarkson vid.)
Naslund and Kovalchuk – “Don’t Fence Me In” is a great one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAeD4tbvyL0
or any Wayne Gretzky ad from the 80s
I’m pretty sure the only 2 hits of Naslund’s career are in that video
“Two minutes for looking so good” with Maurice Richard!
The real joy of that first one is that there are probably two dozen former Flyers netminders from the last 20 years that could be….
Weak weak glove hand was my all-time fave, my friends and I still pull that joke out.
Best non Nike commercial is Cam Neely gardening
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGpiAsISfyk
Do you wanna kick my dog while you’re here?
This is just a sick display of skill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdLrSKs5bS8
How about Dougie dressed in that cow suit.
Jagr in the UN?! One of the greats in my opinion- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2c2sFqtgUY
The old black and white ESPN hockey commercials of the mid 90s were great too..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7LEvSqD8pQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVgNYaBsuc4
I’d forgotten about the Federov Nike series! My favorite part is him getting run over at the end (not that I don’t love Federov, but that’s just gold)
“Stupid HD” with Iginla (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41hdlkCNJ0s)
The Bruins “Don’t date within division” (which goes along with ESPNs “Without sports, this wouldn’t be disgusting”) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cr89xbl26g and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liNBAvdfakg)
There are others, but nothing I can come up with now.
All of the bud light “Hockey Falls” commercials were awesome.
A few of my favorites:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGN5Gl0vQIc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV8Qu8QWBhQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2FOByx5oj4&feature=related
As the furthest thing from a Red Wings fan, KRONWALLED always got a chuckle out of me: http://youtu.be/Fjeeavlf4n4
By far my favorite hockey commercial ever has to be this one with Kolzig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OCnDrab3dk
I love the NHL road trip ad, Kessel always gets a laugh “GO,GO,GO!”
Gotta go with kicking Cam’s dog for the all time winner. But those Mats Sundin Nikes were good too.
Jeff: hadnt seen that one. Love it!
Love this one too: Because we lover the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayH-zLDu5Ks
5-Hole: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLNPUE_9wDo&feature=related
The only issue I had with the Flyers goalie commercial is that he was originally wearing #31, the number of the late Pelle Lindbergh. After a couple of airings, they finally cought on and digitally changed it to #34.
Goalie turns to a life of crime:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhMb1M5OycA&feature=related
Two of my favorites from the lockout:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Jaydee96#p/u/7/KBfZI4N0yiA
http://www.youtube.com/user/Jaydee96#p/u/6/F7h1I1V45Ns
By far my favorite hockey commercial of all time: the fantasy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfTI4JE2m40
Road trip!!!
Also, note the Shanahammer in the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7HZSzpBpxk
Also, Swedish Twins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6tBr6PMkBY&feature=relmfu
Not hockey per se, but you gotta love the hockey reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XdLheUC7kA
The Scotiabank ad with Jarome Iginla. Oh, so cheesy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPnDCj-GEjc
Another Iginla commercial, pimping for Scotiabank. Oh, Iginla, you sold your soul :P
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig7Z-rK_diA
I remember lots more, but I don’t want to hog them all :D
For pure comedic genius, I have to go with the Sportchek commercial where the rec player grants his wife a post-game interview.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N63LeOyB8x8
My favorite hockey commercial of all time, hands down: No Words, from the 2010 NHL Playoffs. It’s like a chick flick for guys, in 31 seconds. Beautiful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSd8CqBEbcY