Hockey may never be as big as the NFL in America, but that doesn't mean that some of the best movies of all time weren't about the sport. There have been a lot of terrific hockey movies, and they have covered a wide spectrum—from tear-jerkers to tear-dripping hilarious nonsense.

Gordon Bombay, the Hanson Brothers, and Herb Brooks are all fair game here. This list is a ranking of the 15 best hockey movies of all time.

A hockey movie that includes Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and a young Keanu Reeves has to be good, right? The movie might not be one of Keanu's best, but it still is worth seeing.

Dean Youngblood is a minor-league player that is trying to earn a shot in the NHL. He is told that is he not tough enough to play at the highest-level so what does he do?

He start's "hanging out" with the coach's daughter. Atta' boy!

This movie would have been higher on the list if it was more about hockey and less about romance.

The Love Guru may have received a lot of grief, but an all-star cast of Mike Myers, Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, Ben Kingsley, and Jessica Simpson is why this movie makes the list. This is a movie that you will either love or hate as it features a ton of outlandish sexual and potty humor.

The story is crazy in it's own right as the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the right track towards the Stanley Cup (crazy right), and their star Darren Roanoke's wife has recently begun dating L.A. Kings star Jacques Grande. 

The team begins to play terribly and they need the help of the Love Guru if they want to win the Stanley Cup. There are some pretty gross parts in this movie but it's still pretty good overall.

It might be because I'm younger, but I absolutely love all of the Mighty Ducks films and D3 is no different. The final installment (I think) of Gordon Bombay's team finds them in college playing for the junior varsity squad.

The varsity team is threatened by the Ducks and both sides go back and forth with hilarious pranks as neither will back down. The climax of the movie is when the JV meets the Varsity in front of the entire school.

Not the best Mighty Ducks film, but definitely a good hockey movie regardless. Fast skating, hard-hitting, and seemingly actual hockey talent makes this movie.

A chimpanzee playing hockey might be the coolest thing I've seen since Air Bud (golden retriever who somehow is great at basketball, baseball, football). Jack is a ridiculously cute, hockey-playing chimpanzee who also speaks sign language.

The movie is actually put together really well and you will want to watch it more than once. Take a look at Jack's smile, you've got to love it!

Jean Claude Van Damme starring in a hockey movie was something I thought I'd never see. The movie may not be so great, but a cast-list that includes Markus Naslund, Luc Robitaille and even Sidney Crosby's agent is awesome.

The movie is centered around game seven in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but a movie with Van Damme has to include some crazy (usually not believable) action scenes. A group of terrorists are threats to blow up the arena and it's up to Van Damme to stop them!

The movie is centered around the Kanachowski family who basically worships hockey. A young boy making the pros someday is seemingly the responsibility of the whole family.

The actual hockey play isn't the greatest, but the storyline more than makes up for that.

This movie is very underrated in my opinion as it is focused on a tough-minded single mother who loves to play the game of hockey. She hears nothing but constant bickering at work, so she challenges the men to play the women in a game of hockey.

Hockey Mom does a great job of covering the battle of the sexes, and how this hockey mom (almost played in the Olympics) wants to see a women's pro league. This is a great story with some good hockey.

Bon Cop, Bad Cop is a hilarious movie that hockey followers need to see. The story is about a mystery murderer who is killing some of the biggest names in pro hockey and the league commissioner could be next.

Naming the commissioner Mr. Buttman alone makes this movie great.

The first installment of The Mighty Ducks is certainly in the conversation of the most influential sports movies of all time. Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez) was terrific as head coach of the Mighty Ducks, and he may have inspired a whole generation of American kids to play hockey.

The team is basically a bunch of goof-balls that you cannot help but root for. The Mighty Ducks were so influential that they inspired a professional hockey team to name their franchise after them.

Everyone loves a movie that is based on a true story and that is exactly what you get with Net Worth. It is the true story of how the NHL player's union was crushed by the NHL way back in the 1950's. 

Today's NHL stars should watch Net Worth, as it could be argued that they have Ted Lindsay to thank for their lucrative contracts. This movie demonstrates how dangerous hockey was for the players and how they received little in return.

Detroit Red Wings captain Ted Lindsay worked tirelessly for hockey players' rights. Great movie.

Yes, I included an animated film in my listing of the 15 greatest hockey movies ever. The Sweater has a great story-line and is definitely a film that should be seen by all hockey fans. 

The film is centered around a boy that loves the Montreal Canadians, and all he wants is a sweater to show his loyalty to his team and favorite player, "The Rocket." When he receives a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey in the mail by mistake, we see how passionate, loyal, and crazy hockey fans can be. 

I understand that I may receive a lot of heat for including D2: The Mighty Ducks in the top five, but let me explain why it is not blasphemy. The second installment of The Mighty Ducks was highly anticipated and delivered on so many levels.

Many of our favorite players from the first movie somehow managed to be good enough to join forces with some of the best U.S. players from around the country. The movie reminds us that these players are still teenagers and they let the fame get the better of them for a little while (Coach Bombay included).

The team must get their act together if they have any shot of beating mighty Iceland. Putting in a cold, female goalie with the game on the line against the opposition's best player during a shootout; sound crazy?

Crazy is Gordon Bombay's middle name.

Mystery Alaska could easily have been number one on this list as it is a must-see for all hockey fans. Who doesn't love a true David vs. Goliath story?

Add in Russel Crowe, Burt Reynolds, Phil Esposito, Jim Fox, and Tie Domi (to name a few) and you have a great movie. The story is about a small team from Alaska that gets to play the mighty New York Rangers.

The movie is tremendous and even features an inspiring comeback at the end. A must-see for any hockey lover.

Slap Shot is easily my pick for the best hockey movie of all time, but I found it hard to put a movie at No. 1 that had little hockey actually being played. The movie is centered around the Charlestown Chiefs and the great Hanson brothers.

The movie is hilarious from beginning to end as the Hansons fight their way through an entire minor hockey league. Slap Shot is not only one of the best hockey movies ever, but also one of the best sports movies ever as well.

One of the greatest stories in American sports history became one of the best sports movies in 2004 with the making of Miracle. Kurt Russell is perfect as legendary coach Herb Brooks, and the movie does a great job to show what the team had to go through leading up to their game against the Soviet Union.

I had my doubts that any movie could do justice to the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, but Miracle has certainly changed my mind. The movie shows how a United States victory unified an entire country, and made something as scary as the Cold War an afterthought. 

The 1980 men's team beating the Soviets in the Olympics may just answer the question, "Do you believe in miracles?"