Not just for hockey fans!

A Hockey Night at the Puck & Pickle Pub review by Andrea Noga (Alberta Youth Theatre Collective)

If you’re a Canadian excited by the announcement that NHL players will henceforth be permitted to play in the Olympics, this might be the show for you. Also if you’re just Canadian, this might be the show for you.

Hockey Night at the Puck & Pickle Pub imagines the 2026 gold medal Olympic match between the United States and Canada, McDavid and Matthews head to head in a game watched around the country. The show takes place in the title pub, with two actors (Ryan Gladstone and Jon Paterson, with Gladstone as the sole writer as well) playing a variety of different pairs of pub customers. From themselves, to crass older ladies, to statistic obsessed hockey nerds, the pair of actors demonstrate a keen comedic range in a show that will keep you laughing throughout.

The show is in constant movement between characters– to the point that the actors have to keep a cheat sheet onstage to remember which pair of characters they’re switching between. They stay on track mostly, with a few mistakes here and there that are more funny than awkward. The actors offer clear physical choices that help differentiate the many characters, and add an extra comedic dimension. Gladstone and Paterson work well as a duo, operating on the same wavelength and being completely attuned to the other’s timing and nuances. They are well matched and make the other’s performance better, and the individual performances were pretty good to begin with.

Though where Hockey Night really sings is in the script. While both actors are equipped with strong comedic reflexes, the actual jokes on the page are smart and well crafted. For what is mainly a sketch show, Gladstone’s narrative commitment and comedic follow through is impressive. Jokes pay off right when they need to, and none of the characters overstay their welcome. The joke to laugh ratio is impressive, and the sheer number of jokes which hit would challenge for a Fringe 2025 record. For a relatively simple premise, Gladstone milks it for all that its worth, and it is worth quite a lot.

If you’re worried about not getting the references, don’t be. Sure, hockey history and key players are discussed throughout, however the show is not just some display of jock jargon. Fellow hockey fans will enjoy some of the deep cuts brought up, however the comedy in the show comes largely from character dynamics and wacky situations– which can be enjoyed by anyone, hockey fan or not. No matter your Fringe tastes (or taste in sports), this is a quintessentially Canadian show that is bound to make anyone laugh eventually.

Hockey Night at the Puck & Pickle Pub plays at the Campus Saint-Jean Auditorium.