The Real Ogie ! The Life And Legend Of Goldie Goldthorpe

A biography of Bill “Goldie” Goldthorpe, one of hockey’s most notorious enforcers and the real-life inspiration for the character Ogie Oglethorpe in the film Slap Shot. Told in chronological fashion, the book traces Goldthorpe’s upbringing in Hornepayne, Ontario, through his junior and minor professional career during the 1970s, with stops in the World Hockey Association, the American Hockey League, and several other North American circuits.

Maguire recounts Goldthorpe’s reputation for relentless fighting on the ice, his extensive penalty record, and his frequent legal troubles off it, alongside episodes of violence, injury, and imprisonment that contributed to his outsized legend.