Remembering Slap Shot Dr. Hook actor Paul D’Amato

A man who played one of the most famous antagonists in a fictional sports movie has passed away.

On Monday, actor Paul D’Amato died at the age of 75 after a four-year battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disease.

D’Amato famously played the role of Tim “Dr. Hook” McCracken in the popular 1977 film Slap Shot. The Worcester native got his start in the industry as a stage hand around the age of 14, and took his passion for acting to Emerson College in Boston, where he also played on the hockey team.

D’Amato played in another hockey role that also came out in 1977, playing the role of David Eskanazi in The Deadliest Season.

The movie, starring the late Paul Newman, is a cult classic, and is consistently discussed and quoted throughout hockey circles. The movie debuted the now-popular Hanson Brothers, which were played by brothers Steve and Jeff Carlson, along with David Hanson. All three were active pro hockey players when the movie was filmed. Steve took to his personal X/Twitter account, remembering D’Amato.

On Tuesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Colby Cohen talk about the impact Slap Shot had on the game, and the role D’Amato played in the film.

Colby Cohen: Those movies, especially the first one, was just such a great movie, a real institution. You see the Hanson Brothers feeling this one, because Dr Hook was such a big part of that. Yes, he had limited scenes, but his character lived on, and is still talked about in dressing rooms throughout hockey. Sad news for the hockey world.

Frank Seravalli: Just thinking about that tweet, I was quoting a million things in my head, but we’ll have to save that for another show.

You can watch the full segment, and the entire segment here…