Slapshot Autographs: 59 & Counting

[30ranfordfan]

I've mentioned this collection of mine plenty of times in passing. I've posted before with a lot of other cards, but it's been a long time since I posted pics of my Slapshot collection. This has been a big project for me over the last couple of years, and I'm still trying to grow it!

This is not every card I consider part of my collection. I'm just showing off unique signatures today (I've got lots of other Hanson brothers cards, plenty of non-auto'd cards that go into this collection too). I've also left out a few that I consider "associated" with the film: Goldie Goldthorpe, Jack Carlson, and Christian Hanson.

Like the title says, I'm up to 59 autographs from people that were in the film, and hoping to add to that this year. Most of these are on custom cards that I've been printing myself. They don't always turn out great, as it's hard to get a clean still shot from the movie (at least using free, low-tech software) but I make due as best I can. I make backs for the cards too. A few times the person on the card signed the back instead of the front - I suspect because they thought the front would be difficult to see. I've included the front & the back for those folks.

This is really a tribute to how amazing the people I've been in touch with have been. There's a few people in this thread that sign autographs regularly, a few more that sign on occasion, but a lot of these people have hard very few requests to sign, ever (I was told by a couple of them that I'm the only person that's ever asked - and they were very happy to do it). I'll mention that I always send an extra copy of the custom card, and almost always the person on the other end keeps it (as I offered). There's been a few times where they've asked for extra copies, and I've always been more than happy to have those printed and send them along.

Anyway, here's the show:



We'll start off with 6 names most of you will know, all on certified / pack-pulled autographed cards:
Michael Ontkean (Ned Braden)
Paul Newman (Reggie Dunlop)
Yvon Barrette (Denis Lemieux)
Steve Carlson (Steve Hanson)
Jeff Carlson (Jeff Hanson)
Dave Hanson (Jack Hanson)


Next up, 10 more Charlestown Chiefs:


Stephen Mendillo (Jim Ahern)
Yvon Ponton (Jean-Guy Drouin)
Allan Nichols (Johnny Upton)
Guido Tenesi (Billy Charlebois)
Jerry House (Dave 'Killer' Carlson)
Jean Rosario Tetreault (Andre Bergerson)
Strother Martin (GM Joe McGrath, cut from an index card)
Brad Sullivan (Mo Wanchuk, cut from a signed Playbill)
Ron Docken (Yvon Lebrun, the backup goalie)
Reg Kent (a star for the Johnstown Jets back in the 70s, is an extra for the Chiefs in the movie, can be seen in the opening game)

Then there's the other teams.....

4 members of the Syracuse Bulldogs:


Connie Madigan (Ross "Mad Dog" Madigan, certified auto from Panini)
Mark Bousquet (Andre 'Poodle' Lussier)
Paul D'Amato (Tim 'Dr Hook' McCracken)
Dan Belisle (unnamed player, fights with Paul Newman in the final game)

5 members of the Hyannisport Presidents


John Gofton (Nick Brophy)
the other 4 are all unnamed:
Bruce Boudreau (NHL coach!)
Jim Boo
Dave Birch
Larry Mavety (signed ITG card. I've read he was in the opening game, with Boudreau & Gofton, but I'm not sure where)

4 Long Island Ducks, and 3 Broome County Blades:



Christopher Murney & Jean-Louis Levasseur as Tommy Hanrahan (Murney is only Hanrahan when the mask comes off. Levasseur actually plays goalie).
Steve Stirling (NHL coach) & Paul Stewart (NHL ref) were unnamed Ducks.
Frank Hamill as "Johnson" (you can read the back of his jersey if you know what to watch)
Bob Jones as an unnamed player
Ross Smith as Barclay Donaldson

3 members of the Peterborough Patriots (all unnamed) along with a Federal League Referee!



Michael Smith, Bob Murphy, and James Bolen all shown at various points in the pre-game brawl for the Patriots.
Dick Roberge as Referee Ecker


Now we get to non-players....



Will "Woody" Espey, Bruce Kent, and Dan Belisle Jr were all Chiefs' stickboys
Paul Dooley was an announcer for Hyannisport
M Emmet Walsh was the local reporter, Dickie Dunn
Mickey McQuillan played Dickie Dunn's son.


More non-players:



Jennifer Warren (Francine Dunlup, Reggie's wife)
Lindsay Crouse (Lily Braden, Ned's wife)
Swoosie Kurtz (Shirley Upton, Johnny's wife)
Melinda Dillon (Suzanne Hanrahan, Tommy's wife)
Phil Light - Random guy in the crowd that was protesting the Chiefs on their way into Hyannisport
Lucy Lee Flippin - Game Show contestant (when the Chiefs were watching TV in the locker room)
Bill Bingler - Fashion Consultant, helping Upton @ the fashion show
David Burke - Desk Sergeant, when they were bailing the Hansons out of jail

Now some of the Bluebirds:



None of these women would have had "named" roles in the film. Jennifer Suppes was Killer Carlson's date at the Aces after their show. For Laurie Lydic I used a group photo. I was given "behind the scenes" photos of both Tricia Suppes & Terry Kohler to work with.... those aren't shots from the movie, but I liked using them more than group pictures.

Finally, a few signatures that are not on cards, but I'd like to give them the "cut signature" treatment, similar to Strother Martin & Brad Sullivan eventually:



Matthew Cowles signed play bill from the play Malcolm. (That's Angela Landsbury in red, if you're interested). He played Chiefs trainer, Charlie Kischel.

and these three photos, that I purchased from Mad Brothers (who sell a ton of Slapshot Memoribilia):






Andrew Duncan as Jim Carr
Louise and Janet Arters as the Sparkle Twins
Cliff Thompson as Walk Comisky





And there you have it! That's 59 autographs. I've got a bunch in the wind right now, so hoping to break 60 very soon, hitting 65 in 2023 is my goalie. Kathryn Walker (Anita McCambridge), New Dowd (Ogie Ogilthorpe), Nancy Dowd (writer of the film) would be the three right at the top of my wantlist, but it's certainly not limited to them.

[ac4760]

Just wow. Amazing how many of the cast you were able to locate ( stick boys, ice capade skaters, etc). Too bad no card company ever attempted a set like this. All the sets these days from TV and movies with autos from numerous characters. I would love a dual auto with Newman and D'Amato where they added their brief conversation along with their auto. Would have been nice. But thanks for that great representation of a classic film.

[30ranfordfan]

Just wow. Amazing how many of the cast you were able to locate ( stick boys, ice capade skaters, etc). Too bad no card company ever attempted a set like this. All the sets these days from TV and movies with autos from numerous characters. I would love a dual auto with Newman and D'Amato where they added their brief conversation along with their auto. Would have been nice. But thanks for that great representation of a classic film.

Legend has it, that Panini was going to make one (or at least an insert set of some kind) but didn't follow through, for whatever reason. They did get Madigan, Ontkean, Dave Hanson, and Steve & Jeff Carlson to sign cards. I think they could easily have done a 20 card insert set, with autographed versions, and it would have been a hit. Probably few people would have been interested in a 60+ card set like I'd have done.... but I do really believe there's a market for it. Considering that a number of the cast members still do appearances regarding the film, and a few others have signed for card companies (various non-sport sets) I have to think the content was possible. The Newman & Ontkean cards show they must have had some kind of license with paramount, to use pics from the film.

I'm just hoping I can add more to it this year. My "goal" is to get to 65 - but I have enough names to search for, I could push it to 75 if I was actually able to get in touch with people.