All 11 Real-Life Hockey Players & Media Pundits On Shoresy

Shoresy, the spinoff series of Letterkenny, merges the sport of ice hockey with the fictional realm of television by casting many real-life professional hockey players and media pundits. Shoresy is similar to other sports comedies but tends to be more vulgar in its tone. The Canadian series follows the Sudbury Bulldogs as they risk the potential to be shut down. Luckily, Shoresy (Jared Keeso) stops this from happening by making a bet and reshaping the team to play better than ever before.

Praise has been given to Shoresy for its portrayal of First Nations characters and its placing of female characters in charge. For some of the cast members of Shoresy, this is their first acting job. This is because Shoresy, with all of its quips and comedic notes, still aims to depict a realistic ice hockey team and this is accomplished by casting actors with experience in the world of the sport.

11 Terry Ryan

Montreal Canadiens

Terry Ryan plays Ted Hitchcock, a player recruited to the Sudbury Bulldogs. He is a Newfoundlander, making him stand out among the other players for his unique way of speaking and his accent that makes it hard to understand him at times. It is also noted that Hitchcock has a particular fondness for martinis despite his rough-around-the-ages vibe. Each time Shoresy introduces Hitchcock, he likes to point out that when his full name is said fast, it sounds rather funny and vulgar.

Before he started acting, Ryan grew up playing ice hockey as a kid. Later, he would earn the title of Rookie of the Year in 1998 after being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. However, his time with the team was cut short due to an ankle injury. Ryan spent the following years playing in ball hockey tournaments and Newfoundland senior hockey, eventually entering the film industry. Before landing a role on Shoresy, he appeared in Jared Keeso’s previous series, Letterkenny.

10 Jonathan-Ismaël Diaby

Jonquière Marquis

In Shoresy, it could be argued that Jonathan-Ismaël Diaby plays himself as Dolo, which is a nod to his nickname in real life, JoDolo. When selecting the new members of the team, Shoresy brings on Dolo as one of the most exciting prospects as he was drafted into the NHL. However, Shoresy is quick to note that Dolo turned down the opportunity to play “in the show” because he chose to pursue his dreams of being a rapper instead.

Diaby is also a rapper, and was able to share his creative opinions about which of his songs would be used in his scenes

In 2013, Diaby was selected in the third round of the NHL Entry Draft, drafted by the Nashville Predators. The latest team he played for was the Jonquière Marquis, playing defense. Mirroring his character’s artistry, Diaby is also a rapper, and was able to share his creative opinions about which of his songs would be used in his scenes.

9 Brian McGonagle

Co-Host Of Spittin’ Chiclets

Brian McGonagle guest stars as himself in Shoresy. He is one of several personalities to appear in the opening of Shoresy, as a guest on the show “Questionable Calls”. He is the only non-Canadian member of the panel, and therefore, when Shoresy’s name comes up as a strong contender for the dirtiest player of all time, he is the only one who has not heard of his infamous reputation.

Outside the show, McGonagle is a blogger with Barstool Sports. Alongside former National Hockey League players, McGonagle hosts the hockey podcast titled Spittin’ Chiclets. He is known by the nickname Rear Admiral, but more commonly as simply RA. Since the show’s start in 2016, it’s grown a large fanbase and become very popular show the sports genre podcasts due to the banter among the hosts and their NHL guests.

8 Andrew Antsanen

Kahnawake Condors

Andrew Antsanen has a recurring role as Brant “Goody” Goodleaf. Goody is another one of the players who Shoresy chooses to add some life and “veteran presence” to their struggling team. Shoresy excitedly presents him as having been invited to “the show”, aka the professional league, and even states that he led the league in scoring. However, he then has to point out that it was actually professional lacrosse that Goody played. There is also a recurring joke about Goody’s love of chicken.

Antsanen is one of the many Indigenous actors starring in Shoresy. Aside from his acting endeavors, Antsanen has prior experience with the sport and as an MMA fighter. Years before Shoresy, Antsanen played as part of the Quebec Junior A Hockey League with the Kahnawake Condors but didn’t play long and chose to coach younger players instead.

7 Jonathan Torrens

Co-host of the Taggart and Torrens Podcast

Jonathan Torrens has a guest role in Shoresy as commentator Remy Nadeau. The French-Canadian commentator has a penchant for speaking in his announcer voice even in everyday conversations. Similar to his character’s job, Torrens is a television personality known for a variety of jobs, such as co-hosting Street Cents and Jonovision. His real-life career endeavor closest to that of his character Remy is his co-hosting job on the Taggart and Torrens Podcast, in which Jeremy Taggart and Jonathan Torrens discuss a variety of topics, including sports.

Torrens is one of a few actors to play characters on both Letterkenny and Shoresy, as he starred in Keeso’s previous series as Noah. Ironically, Torrens’ other famous roles outside of Canada are on hit Canadian series, like Trailer Park Boys where he plays J-Rock and Mr. D where he plays Principal Robert Cheely.

6 Jonathan Mirasty

Binghamton Black Bears

Among the ensemble of the show, there are three First Nation characters all named Jim, all played by professional ice hockey players. Jim #1 is played by Jonathan Mirasty. Not strictly hockey players, the Jims were guards at the local prison who were recruited into the Sudbury Bulldogs purely for their physically intimidating abilities as fighters. Jim #1 sells this fact the most with his massive size yet has a quiet demeanor.

The latest season he played in was as a left-wing for the Binghamton Black Bears

Before he earned the role of Jim #1, Mirasty’s hockey career was extensive, as he played in multiple leagues, including the WHL, KHL, and the AHL. Throughout his career, he played for teams such as the Syracuse Crunch and the Fort Wayne Komets. The latest season he played in was as a left-wing for the Binghamton Black Bears as part of the Federal Prospects Hockey League.

5 Brandon Nolan

Carolina Hurricanes

Brandon Nolan plays one of the three characters who reject the notion of nicknames and insist on all being called “Jim.” Like the rest of the Jims, Jim #2 is not often seen outside of the hockey scenes. He is usually in the locker room before and after the game, showing his unflinching readiness to play and to fight hard while also maintaining that polite demeanor that earns the Jims the reputation for being a trio of “beauties”.

Nolan, an Indigenous former NHL player, had his last season with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2008. In addition to Nolan, his brother and father were NHL players, with the latter having coached as well. Together, the three of them used their prominent last name and founded the 3NOLANS First Nation Hockey School to help Indigenous youth learn and hone the sport.

4 Jordan Nolan

Los Angeles Kings

The last of the Jim characters in Shoresy, Jim #3, is played by Jordan Nolan. While none of the Jims are related on the show, Jordan Nolan is actually the real-life brother of his Shoresy costar and fellow Jim, Brandon Nolan. Jim #3 stands out a little more from the other two as he is the one who is most likely to give his opinion on matters rather than simply spout out the brief answers the other Jims are known for.

most known for his career with the Kings, winning the Stanley Cup with the team in 2012 and 2014

Nolan’s post-hockey career is similar to that of his brother Brandon, but his career before that looked a bit different. In the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Nolan was selected in the seventh round by the Los Angeles Kings. Nolan went back and forth between teams, including the Buffalo Sabres and the St. Louis Blues, but is most known for his career with the Kings, winning the Stanley Cup with the team in 2012 and 2014. Since 2021, Nolan has stopped playing the sport and instead works as part of the Kings’ office staff.

3 Tessa Bonhomme

Ohio State Buckeyes; Reporter for The Sports Network

As a guest role, Tessa Bonhomme acts as herself. During the opening scene of the show’s first episode, Bonhomme hosts the show “Questionable Call” in which she leads a panel of hockey experts in a discussion of the sport. It is their discussion of the contenders for dirtiest player in hockey history that leads to the introduction of Shoresy.

Bonhomme is a television sports reporter for The Sports Network and a former professional ice hockey player. Bonhomme had a sweeping career, known for her time on the Ohio State Buckeyes women’s team, where she was eventually co-captain. She also became the 12th woman in the sport’s history to have three accolades to her name: IIHF World Gold, Olympic Gold, and the Clarkson Cup. Following her ice hockey career, Bonhomme starred in a few acting projects, including the predecessor to Shoresy, Letterkenny, as herself.

2 Jay Onrait

TSN Sports Anchor on SC with Jay Onrait

Acting as himself, sports anchor Jay Onrait has a guest role on Shoresy. Like many of the other real-life hockey pundits who appear on the show, Onrait plays himself during the opening moments of the series as part of the “Questionable Call” panel show. As Onrait is known for his comedic energy as a pundit, the show allows him to have some laughs in the scene as host Tessa Bonhomme seems to have an unexplained disdain for him.

Onrait, who won the 2011 award for Best Sportscaster, has always worked in the sports industry, including his time on the NHL Network and his blog with The Sports Network (TSN). In 2017, he hosted a show called SC with Jay and Dan, but after his co-host was removed from TSN, Onrait got his show in 2021 called SC with Jay Onrait.

1 Jared Keeso

Strathroy Rockets

Jared Keeso plays the titular character of the series, Shore (“Shoresy”). While Keeso played the main character of Wayne on Letterkenny, that show was also where he originated this character as well although Shoresy’s face is never seen in Letterkenny. While he was originally simply presented as a pestering hockey player in the original show, Shoresy goes deeper into the character, exploring his deep love of the game and his surprising emotional side.

Before creating
Letterkenny
or
Shoresy
, Keeso starred in films about famous ice hockey figures

Though he’s most known for his work in the entertainment industry, Keeso does have experience with ice hockey, which can explain his interest in creating Shoresy. When he was younger, Keeso played for the Strathroy Rockets and the Listowel Cyclones. Before creating Letterkenny or Shoresy, Keeso starred in films about famous ice hockey figures. Therefore, it only makes sense that he’d want to ensure Shoresy was as authentic as can be with its portrayal of the sport and the culture surrounding it.

The Advantage Of Using Real Hockey Players & Pundits

Despite being a goofy comedy, Shoresy is a show that excels at placing the audience in an authentic world and having people from that world involved in the series goes a long way. The show is very much a love letter to Canadian hockey culture made by people who are very passionate about the subject. It makes sense that they would want to fill the show with as many people who share that understanding as possible to bring out authenticity.

There are likely a lot of viewers who are not familiar with this culture going into the series. This doesn’t hinder the watching experience as Shoresy still delivers big laughs like Letterkenny did for international audiences. However, Shoresy gives the best glimpse into this world and makes the audience feel as though they understand it even as an outsider. That comes from performers who feel comfortable with the talk, the walk, and the spirit of the hockey culture.

Though many of these cast members are not trained actors, and many make their acting debut in the series, their experience in this world is a lot more valuable than acting talent. With such a strong character like Shoresy in the main role, he holds up the story while the real hockey players and hockey lovers add the flavor to make it all feel like a lived-in world.