Peter Puck
Encyclopedia
Peter Puck is a hockey puck
-shaped cartoon
character. The puck, whose animated adventures appeared on both NBC's Hockey Game of the Week and CBC
's Hockey Night in Canada
during the 1970s, explained ice hockey
rules
, equipment
and the sport's history to the home viewing audience. The voice of Peter Puck was provided by Ronnie Schell
; the animation was produced by Hanna-Barbera
studios. Nine episodes, each approximately three minutes long, were broadcast between periods of NHL
hockey games.
season ticket holder Donald Carswell, who conceived the idea and scripted first drafts of the initial episodes, Peter Puck was developed for the television network in partnership with Hanna-Barbera. Designed to help introduce and popularize ice hockey among non-fans (especially children), Peter Puck became an instant and enduring hit with existing hockey fans. When they stopped carrying NHL games in 1975, NBC sold Peter's rights back to Hanna-Barbera, which later sold them to Brian McFarlane
, a member of the network's NHL broadcast team (and the son of Leslie McFarlane
, also known as author Franklin W. Dixon
of Hardy Boys fame.)
apparel with the Peter Puck logo. That same year, Peace Arch Entertainment released the entire series to DVD
.
Since December 2007, the original Peter Puck has been shown during the first intermission of Toronto Maple Leafs
games broadcast on Leafs TV
. The clips are seen in their original form, with outdated rules and references omitted.
For the 2009-10 NHL season, Peter Puck returned to the CBC. He can usually be seen during the pre-game show, often known as Scotiabank Hockey Tonight but sometimes between games that make up the traditional doubleheader.
president David Hill has created similar animated mascots for other sports carried by Fox:
, Peter Pocklington
, was sometimes nicknamed "Peter Puck."
Hockey puck
A puck is a disk used in various games serving the same functions as a ball does in ball games. The best-known use of pucks is in ice hockey, a major international sport.- Etymology :The origin of the word "puck" is obscure...
-shaped cartoon
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
character. The puck, whose animated adventures appeared on both NBC's Hockey Game of the Week and CBC
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
's Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
during the 1970s, explained ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
rules
Ice hockey rules
The majority of ice hockey around the world is played under the umbrella of three organizations, Hockey Canada, USA Hockey, and the International Ice Hockey Federation, each with their own set of rules...
, equipment
Ice hockey equipment
In ice hockey, players use specialized equipment both to facilitate the play of the game and for protection as this is a sport where injuries are common, therefore, all players are encouraged to protect their bodies from bruises and severe fractures...
and the sport's history to the home viewing audience. The voice of Peter Puck was provided by Ronnie Schell
Ronnie Schell
Ronald Ralph "Ronnie" Schell is an American actor, stand-up comedian and cartoon voice actor . Early in his career he appeared as himself as a contestant on You Bet Your Life opposite Groucho Marx, demonstrating a comic barrage of jive talk.-Life and career:Schell was born in Richmond, California...
; the animation was produced by Hanna-Barbera
Cartoon Network Studios
Cartoon Network Studios is an American animation studio. A subsidiary of the Turner Broadcasting System , Cartoon Network Studios focuses on producing and developing animated programs only for and related to Cartoon Network...
studios. Nine episodes, each approximately three minutes long, were broadcast between periods of NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
hockey games.
Origins
The brainchild of NBC executive and New York RangersNew York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
season ticket holder Donald Carswell, who conceived the idea and scripted first drafts of the initial episodes, Peter Puck was developed for the television network in partnership with Hanna-Barbera. Designed to help introduce and popularize ice hockey among non-fans (especially children), Peter Puck became an instant and enduring hit with existing hockey fans. When they stopped carrying NHL games in 1975, NBC sold Peter's rights back to Hanna-Barbera, which later sold them to Brian McFarlane
Brian McFarlane
Brian McFarlane is a Canadian television sportscaster and author. He is also the Honorary President of the Society for International Hockey Research. He is the son of the prolific writer Leslie McFarlane who wrote many of the early Hardy Boys books.-Early life and career:Brian McFarlane attended St...
, a member of the network's NHL broadcast team (and the son of Leslie McFarlane
Leslie McFarlane
Leslie McFarlane was a Canadian journalist, novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker. McFarlane is most famous for ghostwriting many of the early books in the very successful Hardy Boys series using the pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon.- Early life :The son of a school principal, McFarlane was raised in...
, also known as author Franklin W. Dixon
Franklin W. Dixon
Franklin W. Dixon is the pen name used by a variety of different authors who wrote The Hardy Boys novels for the Stratemeyer Syndicate...
of Hardy Boys fame.)
Comeback
Peter Puck made a comeback during the 2007 NHL Playoffs, as retailers began selling a line of retroVintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
apparel with the Peter Puck logo. That same year, Peace Arch Entertainment released the entire series to DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.
Since December 2007, the original Peter Puck has been shown during the first intermission of Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
games broadcast on Leafs TV
Leafs TV
Leafs TV is a Canadian English language Category B specialty channel owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. It was launched in September 2001. The channel presents programming revolving around the Toronto Maple Leafs National Hockey League club and their American Hockey League affiliate,...
. The clips are seen in their original form, with outdated rules and references omitted.
For the 2009-10 NHL season, Peter Puck returned to the CBC. He can usually be seen during the pre-game show, often known as Scotiabank Hockey Tonight but sometimes between games that make up the traditional doubleheader.
David Hill
Presumably inspired by Peter Puck, Fox SportsFox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
president David Hill has created similar animated mascots for other sports carried by Fox:
- Scooter: A talking baseball that premiered at the YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
-Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
contest in April 2004. However, longtime baseball fans found the character annoying, and he was pulled after 2006.
- Cleatus the Robot: A robot that dances or otherwise moves around the screen in segues between commercial breaks on NFL broadcasts.
- Digger: A gopher which premiered at the 2008 Daytona 5002008 Daytona 500The 2008 Daytona 500 was the 50th annual running of "The Great American Race", the Daytona 500. The race took place on Sunday, February 17, 2008 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was the 50th to be run since the first in 1959, won by Lee Petty. To commemorate...
, seen in Looney TunesLooney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
-style cartoon shorts during pre-race shows, in the logo for ground level cameras put in the turns of tracks, and in commercial-break segues similar to those of Cleatus. Reaction to Digger in the NASCARNASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
community has been mixed at best.
Other usages
The former owner of the Edmonton OilersEdmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, Peter Pocklington
Peter Pocklington
Peter Hugh Pocklington is a Canadian entrepreneur.He made his initial fortune as the owner of one of the largest auto dealerships in Canada, and later took over a meat packing company involved in a high-profile labour strike....
, was sometimes nicknamed "Peter Puck."