Slap Shot (1977) character relationship network mapped with AI analysis. Explore the connections, alliances, and conflicts between characters.
Characters
Joe McGrath
(played by Strother Martin) — protagonist
Penny-pinching manager of Charlestown Chiefs, focuses on budget over player welfare.
Ned Braden
(played by Michael Ontkean) — supporting
Top scorer for Chiefs, struggles with marital issues and team violence.
Tim McCracken
(played by Paul D'Amato) — minor
Rival player-coach, target of Dunlop's bounty, central to league rivalry.
Anita McCambridge
(played by Kathryn Walker) — minor
Reclusive team owner, prioritizes tax write-offs over team success.
Canonical Relationships
Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.
Anita McCambridge → Ned Braden
(Professional Owner-Player) — Anita's ownership decisions directly affect Ned's team and career.
Anita owns the Charlestown Chiefs, and Ned Braden is the team's top scorer and a central player during its championship run.
Anita McCambridge → Joe McGrath
(Professional Owner-Manager) — Anita owns the organization that Joe manages.
Anita McCambridge is the reclusive owner of the team, while Joe McGrath is its manager responsible for budget-conscious operations.
Joe McGrath → Ned Braden
(Professional Manager-Player) — Joe manages the team in which Ned is a leading player.
Joe McGrath manages the Charlestown Chiefs, while Ned Braden is identified as the team's top scorer. Their professional relationship is shaped by the...
Story Dynamics
Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.
Anita McCambridge → Tim McCracken
(Conflict Owner-Rival) — Her team confronts Tim's team in the final competition.
Anita owns the Charlestown team, and Tim McCracken is the player-coach of Syracuse, the opposing team in the championship game.
Joe McGrath → Tim McCracken
(Conflict Team Rivalry) — Their organizations oppose each other in the decisive league contest.
Joe manages Charlestown, while Tim McCracken leads the rival Syracuse team that faces the Chiefs in the championship game.
Ned Braden → Tim McCracken
(Conflict Rival Players) — They stand on opposing sides of the league championship rivalry.
Ned plays for the Charlestown Chiefs while Tim McCracken is the player-coach of the rival Syracuse team. Their teams meet in the violent championship...
Story Analysis
A failing hockey team gains success through violence but discovers that winning cannot prevent its economic and personal collapse.
Plot Progression
A Town On The Edge
— The steel mill closure threatens Charlestown and the struggling Chiefs. Joe manages a team with few prospects beyond hockey.
Violence Finds An Audience
— The Chiefs discover that violent play excites hostile spectators and improves attendance. A fabricated Florida sale story is used to create hope and publicity.
Winning At Any Cost
— Brawls become more severe as the Chiefs climb the standings. Ned resists the violence while the rivalry with Syracuse intensifies.
The Owner's Cold Calculation
— Anita reveals that the team's popularity cannot save it because folding is more profitable as a tax write-off. The Chiefs decide to play cleanly in the championship.
A Championship Through Chaos
— Clean play leaves the Chiefs behind until the presence of professional scouts prompts a return to brawling. Tim's attack on the referee disqualifies Syracuse and awards the championship to Charlestown...
