Peter Puck
From Wikipedia, the free 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.
The brainchild of NBC executive and New York Rangers 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. The network hoped that the "poke-check professor" would help introduce and popularize ice hockey among audiences in the Sun Belt and other non-traditional markets. Although that never happened, Peter Puck became an instant and enduring hit with existing hockey fans. When they stopped carrying NHL games in the mid 1970s, 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. Although McFarlane is the self-described "father" of Peter Puck, he is often incorrectly cited as the character's creator. McFarlane is the son of Leslie McFarlane, also known as author Franklin W. Dixon of Hardy Boys fame.
Peter Puck made a comeback during the 2007 NHL Playoffs, as retailers began selling a line of retro apparel with the Peter Puck logo. That same year, PeaceArch 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 The clips are seen in their original form, with outdated rules and references omitted.
The former owner of the Edmonton Oilers, Peter Pocklington, was sometimes nicknamed "Peter Puck."
[edit] External links
- Peter Puck Comeback?
- Chuck Miller article about Peter Puck
- Hockey Hall of Fame: Peter Puck
- Peter the Puck to return in 2008 hockey season
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