What do Kurt Russell, Patrick Swayze, Paul Newman, and Keanu Reeves all have in common, other than an affinity for hacking darts? They were all in hockey movies.
As the “will-they-won’t-they” saga of the Winnipeg Jets’ 2025–26 season ends, it’s important to remember that hockey is entertainment. You have protagonists (players) who go through the hero’s journey (the regular season), culminating in a climactic end (the playoffs). It’s a classic Hollywood script.
Kyle Connor, in partnership with Kentucky Fried Chicken, just released a commercial, and at the risk of hyperbole, it is a puck opera to be studied like Shakespeare.
How are these seemingly unrelated thoughts connected? In the entertainment business, when athletes attempt acting, or actors strive to play athletes, results may vary.
Let’s address Connor’s KFC commercial head-on. First, and most important, is Kyle Connor funny, and have we been blind to it? Second, can Kyle Connor act? I believe the answer to both questions might be yes. A win for Jets fans and athletes alike.
Which begs the question: Is Connor a better actor than the above thespians are hockey players? And more broadly, why do most athletes fail at acting, and conversely, why do most actors fail at portraying athletes?
My unconfirmed and subjective belief has always been that it is easier for a professional athlete to act than it is for an actor to play a professional athlete. The evidence, however, is a mixed bag. Kyle Connor’s performance, while laconic, was very solid. Most athletes can’t say that.
Mark Scheifele’s stint as a shill for Manitoba Public Insurance was decent, but wooden. Athletes who could legitimately act include Peyton Manning, Carl Weathers, O.J. Simpson (sorry), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Most, however, like two of the greats, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan, have a stilted presence in front of a camera. Connor McDavid has broken the mould slightly as a decent actor, but he seems to endorse everything. I wouldn’t have thought McMouthpiece needed the money.
There are also famous instances where actors attempted to play professional athletes and failed spectacularly. Notable nominees include Tim Robbins in Bull Durham, Emilio Estevez in The Mighty Ducks, Sean William Scott in Goon, and Wesley Snipes in Major League.
Estevez was especially egregious, as he portrayed a lauded NHL prospect who didn’t know how to hold a hockey stick. The Mighty Ducks is, across the board, an affront to hockey, starting and ending with Estevez’s hockey prowess.
Also, I understand that the premise in Goon was that William Scott’s character was, in fact, a goon, but AHL types typically don’t need help getting on the ice. Despite that, it is an incredible movie.
Paul Newman and Rob Lowe both did admirable jobs on the ice, simulating real hockey. As a result, Slap Shot and Youngblood are two of the best hockey movies out there. Conversely, Cam Neely playing Sea Bass in Dumb and Dumber is flat-out funny, even if the acting itself wasn’t strong.
The issue here is reps. Athletes are naturally uncomfortable on screen because it is a foreign environment for them. Most actors have little experience with athletics, so they struggle to simulate the ease and instinct that real athletes bring to movement.
The takeaways here are twofold.
1. Kudos to Kyle Connor. Hockey players have their personalities groomed out of them, so it’s refreshing to see the stoic Connor bust out of his shell. Embracing the KFC moniker takes a self-effacing quality that makes him more likable.
2. More hockey movies, please. We can’t rely on Slap Shot, Goon, and Youngblood forever. I haven’t watched Heated Rivalry, so I can’t opine on its actual hockey acumen, but why can’t we get a Friday Night Lights-type vehicle, rife with former and current NHL players? Give these guys some more reps.
Hockey is the most entertaining sport on the market, so why is it so rare to see its players in Hollywood? Players need to follow Connor's lead and wade into the uncomfortable. I promise, the results will be finger licking good.