In the era of sequels and remakes, seeing beloved classics recreated for a contemporary audience can sometimes be a risky proposition. How do you update a 1986 film made with decidedly ‘80s sensibilities for the modern day?
While the original movie — starring Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, and Keanu Reeves in his first feature film role — was a flop with critics, it has garnered cult classic status in the near-40 years since its release. Aside from featuring a trio of actors who would go on to find incredible success, the 1986 film also captured a sense of realism not often seen in Hollywood productions by including real hockey players.
The audience also got to see former Toronto Maple Leafs players Steve ‘Stumpy’ Thomas and Peter Zezel fly around the rink during their OHL days, while former Windsor Spitfire George Finn portrayed enforcer Carl Racki. It was no different behind the camera: Peter Markle, the original film’s director, had been a former NCAA player for Yale University in the mid-1960s. Hockey was in this film’s DNA.
So how does that movie, a story about a young man leaving his New York family farm to play junior hockey in Hamilton, get updated for 2025?
The approach for director Hubert Davis: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
“I was just trying to take the core of it, this idea of young men and women who are pursuing their hockey dreams, and at what cost,” Davis said in an interview with Sportsnet when the film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. “I was just trying to maintain that same idea of pursuing your dreams — how you do that, your influences whether that’s parents or coaches, so that kind of stayed intact for what the game means today.”
That pursuit of one’s hockey dream has always been at the centre of Youngblood’s story, and that is still the case with 2025’s re-imagining of the original film. The remake does still change a handful of smaller items — the Hamilton Mustangs players party a little less than they did in the original film, though that is perhaps true for many of us — but, ultimately, the biggest change lies with the Dean Youngblood himself.
The main character, given depth by Toronto’s Ashton James, is consistently held back by both his short fuse, and an unwillingness to back down from a fight. It’s a marked difference from Lowe’s Youngblood, who could skate and score, but couldn’t handle himself that well when he needed to drop the gloves.
We also get some additional backstory from Dean’s life, including a racially-motivated incident which prompts him to smash an opponent with his stick, leading to a year-long suspension. Davis hopes that tweak in the story arc won’t change how people view the character.
“It’s a strange thing, because you’re trying to make it specific to that character and his experience, but I do think the story is quite universal,” Davis said. “It’s always a bit of a balance as a director to fine-tune both those things.”
Largely filmed at Sadlon Arena, home of the OHL’s Barrie Colts, viewers can also expect to see realistic hockey — unlike Lowe before him, James clearly has the ability to skate, which does help the on-camera action when Youngblood goes from practice to the real deal for the first time. It might not have future NHLers like Steve Thomas on hand, but the puck does fly around the rink with satisfying ease as the Mustangs go bar down early and often.
The film also honours the legacy of Charles Officer, former Calgary Flames-prospect-turned-director who had originally been attached to direct this project before passing away at the age of 48 in 2023. According to Davis, Officer’s hockey fingerprints can be found all over the Mustangs’ search for playoff success, whether it’s the people we see on-screen or the fast-moving hockey itself.
“A lot of people came on board, even the actors, they knew Charles, and so they came on board with the same intent that I did, to honour him,” the director said. “A lot of [the action] came back from Charles wanting to infuse his own experiences [in the sport].”
Ultimately, the changes help to bring this story into the 21st century while still maintaining what lies at the heart of the film: the relentless drive that it takes to succeed in professional sports, and specifically in the competitive world of minor league hockey.
It may not redefine the genre — stories about winning and losing can, by nature, only end one of two ways — but it’s a worthy addition to the pantheon of hockey films.
from Sportsnet.ca
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