‘Slap Shot' actor, hockey player Guido Tenesi dead at 71: ‘You're forever a Chief'
Former professional hockey player Guido Tenesi, who starred in the 1977 sports classic 'Slap Shot,' died at 71 years old.
'We're saddened to learn of the passing of Guido Tenesi, a member of our roster during the 1974 Calder Cup championship, and was known to many more for his role as Billy Charlebois in the classic hockey film 'Slapshot,' the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League posted Thursday. 'Our hearts are with his family, friends, and teammates.'
A cause of death was not announced.
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3 Guido Tenesi played Billy Charlebois in the 1977 sports movie 'Slap Shot.'
Guido Tenesi/IMDB
Tenesi, a defenseman, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round of the NHL Draft in 1973 and played for minor-league affiliate Hershey for two years.
He played across several pro hockey leagues over the next seven seasons.
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It was his time on the Johnstown Jets, where he helped lead the team to the North American Hockey League championship in 1974-75, that landed him a role in the Paul Newman comedy.
'I played on the same team as Ned Dowd, Dave Hanson, and the Carlsons. Ned would walk around with a tape recorder, and taking notes on everything that happened on one of our road trips,' Tenesi told the Utica Observer-Dispatch in 2016. 'If someone tripped on the ice, or if a player broke their stick and threw it over the glass, Ned recorded it.'
3 Actors from Slapshot Guido Tenesi and Jean Tetreault attend the Sports Card Expo at the International Centre on November 12, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Getty Images
Dowd's sister Nancy was writing a hockey movie and Ned would play Chiefs' opponent Ogie Ogilthorpe.
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'It was neat, being in a movie,' Tenesi said. 'How they made it, is what was so interesting to me.'
Slap Shot tells the tale of a failing minor league hockey team, the Charlestown Chiefs, who are led by player and coach Reggie Dunlop, played by Newman.
In 2020, Tenesi recalled his time filming the movie as the 'good old days' and 'a time to remember,' sharing a photo alongside Newman, who died in 2008.
Steve Carlson, who played Steve Hanson — the youngest sibling of the beloved fighting trio in the film — mourned Tenesi as a 'good guy gone too soon.'
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'RIP Guido Tenesi 'Pretty boy' Good guy gone too soon,' Carlson posted.
'On behalf of myself and Vicki We send our heartfelt condolences. He always had HONOR and Class. Prayers for comfort to the entire family and my fellow teammates and co actors who experience yet another loss of the teammate.'
Tenesi won the 1975 Lockhart Cup as a champion with the Jets and in 1979 was the IHL's Governor Trophy winner, awarded to the league's top defenseman.
3 Michael Ontkean, Paul Newman and Guido Tenesi in 'Slap Shot.'
Guido Tenesi / Facebook
The cult classic hockey film served as Tenesi's lone acting credit. After he retired from hockey in 1987, he worked as a swimming pool technician in Toronto.
'He never chased fame. He never needed to. For those who knew, Guido Tenesi was the real deal — an unfiltered, unforgettable part of hockey lore,' Carlson said, adding, 'Whether you remember him for his on-ice grit, his international pride, or his silver-screen cool in Slap Shot, Guido Tenesi stood for something rare: authenticity. He brought truth to the game, truth to the screen, and truth to what it meant to live as a player, not a character.
'Rest easy, #5 — you're forever a Chief.'
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Jeff Carlson, who played Jeff Hanson, also paid tribute on Facebook.
'Very sad to say that we have lost another brother, castmate, friend and great family man as Guido Tenesi has passed away. We send prayers out to his loving wife Leslie and there whole family. Guido was a great hockey player but a even better person. I along with so many others will miss our great friend. R.I.P Guido we will never forget you.'
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