‘SLAP SHOT’ HOCKEY TEAM MOVING TO SOUTH CAROLINA

In the classic Paul Newman hockey film ‘Slap Shot’, the fictional Charlestown Chiefs struggle to keep their team afloat in a dying ‘Rust Belt’ city.  Newman’s character, Reggie Dunlop, starts a rumor that the team is moving to Florida to motivate his players.  At the end of the film, however, the owner folds the Chiefs as a tax write off.  Now the real life team that inspired the movie is experiencing much of the same—the Johnstown (Pennsylvania) Chiefs are moving south to Greenville, South Carolina.

The movie version of the Chiefs were inspired by the Johnstown Jets, which folded in 1978 just one year after the movie was released.  In 1988, the Johnstown Chiefs were founded and have managed to survive through a series of owners.  Current owner Neil Smith—better known as the General Manager of the New York Rangers’ 1994 Stanley Cup championship team—bought the team in 2002.  He promised not to move them for at least two years, and has tried to seek a buyer locally.  

Smith noted that the movie was a big factor in his decision to buy the team and attempts to keep them in Johnstown:

"'Slap Shot' was a big factor in me, personally, having the team here, owning the team. I was fascinated by that: the original building, the small town, the whole thing."

Unfortunately, the economic base just couldn’t support even low ticket prices for games in the Chiefs’ 60 year old arena.  They have just 900 season ticket holders in a building that holds just over 4,000 and average well under 1,000 fans per game.  Smith estimates that he would need to draw 2,700 per game to break even.

Smith became head coach earlier this year after his predecessor left, and he said that despite the move he’s never been the target of insults or criticism:

"I can stand there behind the bench, if you can imagine, and I've never had a negative word said. That's a real credit to the people of Johnstown."

The East Coast Hockey League team will move to Greenville, SC for the 2010-2011 season and play their games in the 13,000 seat Bi-Lo Center.  The ECHL already has successful teams in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina.