Gene Peacosh

Who is Gene Peacosh?

Gene Peacosh is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 367 games in the World Hockey Association. He played with the New York Golden Blades, New York Raiders, New Jersey Knights, San Diego Mariners, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, and Indianapolis Racers.

Gene Peacosh was one of the best hockey players to come out of British Columbia during the late 1960s and early 70s. Despite being born in Manitoba, he grew up in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, and that is where his hockey career began. As a junior, Gene quickly established himself as a prolific goal scorer. He was drafted into major junior hockey and continued to top team and league scoring statistics. Gene eventually ended up playing for the infamous Johnstown Jets in the EHL. Of course Gene had no way of knowing that the team he was playing for would one day be used as a model for the Hollywood blockbuster movie Slap Shot, starring Paul Newman. In four seasons Gene scored almost 200 goals and accumulated over 400 points, and served as the team's captain. It should go without saying that the Hollywood version of the team had little resemblance to the real Jets, except in as much as hockey was a much rougher, nastier sport in those days, and a talented player like Gene had to keep his head up at all times if he was interested in keeping it on his shoulders. Of course he did receive help from a man named "Dick Paradise", who would pummel anybody that crossed any lines with one of their star players and later the infamous tough-guy Ted Scharf. In the movie Slap Shot a character is featured by the name of Olgie Ogelthorpe, which was a kind of sloppy anagram for a goon Gene encountered only too often by the name of Bill "Goldie" Goldthorpe. After turning down a contract from the Montreal Canadiens franchise, Gene decided instead to play in the now defunct World Hockey Association. Gene's scoring touch remained constant as a pro, averaging approximately a goal every other game. He occupies a high position in the WHA record books.