Some very underrated hockey-pop culture crossover moments

Patrick Warburton has hundreds of acting credits. But his biggest name recognition moment is playing David Puddy on the iconic 90s sitcom "Seinfeld."

And, if you ask the average Seinfeld fan what his most famous moment from the show, you would likely get only one response: "We're the Devils!"

Warburton memorably plays an absolutely rabid New Jersey Devils fan in "The Face Painter," the 23rd episode of the sixth season of "Seinfeld."

"In the realm of half-hour television that I've done over two decades, it is clearly one of the most memorable, most rewarding episodes that I have ever done," the actor was quoted as saying on the Devils website. "It was just so much fun to be that fan, to be that character on the show. That was the second episode of Seinfeld that I had done, and after it, people recognized me as if I was a regular. The Devils and Rangers have been with me, I suppose, my entire career."

And "The Face Painter" has been written about plenty of times. And it still comes up to this day. Dallas Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood had a Puddy-themed mask when he played in New Jersey. (Warburton got a replica of it.) The Devils even invited Warburton to reprise the role during the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It may be the biggest pop culture/hockey crossover moment ever, in terms of popping up out of nowhere on a show that had nothing to do with hockey ("Slap Shot" was literally about a hockey team and "Happy Gilmore" about a hockey player, so we are disqualifying them here).

But what about everything else? In this space, we are going to bring to light a few of the more overlooked hockey/pop culture crossover moments.

They may not be as legendary as "The Face Painter," but they definitely happened.

TELEVISION

"Seinfeld"

Well, why don't we start with the show who authored "The Face Painter" moment? In the eighth episode of the second season, titled "The Heart Attack," the George Costanza character (played by Jason Alexander) thinks he has had a heart attack (he hasn't), but Seinfeld's character decides to pretend George is near death. Jerry callously asks for George's Blackhawks jacket if George doesn't make it (he does).

The Blackhawks jacket, it was alleged in a behind-the-scenes extra from the show, was based on a real jacket that "Seinfeld" co-creator Larry David once owned.

"Friends"

The long-running sitcom started as an upstart lead-in to "Seinfeld" before becoming one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. In the fourth episode of season one titled "The One with George Stephanopoulos," Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) try to cheer up their buddy Ross (David Schwimmer) by taking him to a hockey game.

Wild hijinks ensue, including Ross getting hit by a stray puck and heading to the emergency room where a character 200 times worse than Nurse Ratchet runs the show.

Bonus points for airing on October 13, 1994 just as the Rangers were coming off a Stanley Cup championship. And more bonus points for the Joey character wearing the iconic, at-the-time home white Rangers jersey.

"The Goldbergs"

Philadelphia Flyers references were baked into the sitcom "The Goldbergs" for nearly its entire existence with the middle child character, Barry Goldberg, often wearing jerseys and professing his love for the team.

But in the show's 10th and final season they really kicked it up a notch, getting former Flyers goalie Brian Boucher to guest star as the team's general manager.

MOVIES

"A Few Good Men"

There is no movie less about hockey than the 1992 Oscar nominated, military courtroom drama "A Few Good Men," which starred Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise and Demi Moore.

But there is an allusion that comes up in writer Aaron Sorkin's famous script. Cruise, playing the defense lawyer Daniel Kaffee for two Mariners accused of murder facing life in prison, bargains their jail time down to just six months.

The Marines are not nearly as happy as their lawyer expects. Finally, in a last-ditch effort to convince his clients, Cruise says "Do it Harold. Six months, it's nothing, it's a hockey season."

If you haven't seen the movie, we highly recommend.

"Sudden Death"

The inclusion of this one is not cheating, because this movie is about hockey the way that "Citizen Kane" was about sleds. It's about what all Jean-Claude Van Damme movies are about, which is there is some sinister plot happening and it is up to Van Damme to martial arts his way through it and save the day.

This one has some incredible hockey-related moments, but two rise above the rest.

The first is easily when a terrorist tries to hide from Van Damme by putting on the disguise of the Pittsburgh Penguins legendary mascot, Iceburgh. If you haven't ever seen a martial artist throw down with someone in a huge mascot costume, we can't recommend this scene highly enough (Warning: movie violence).

The other is when Van Damme inexplicably gets into the equipment of the Pittsburgh goalie and ends up being put in the game.

Can't believe this one was only the 118th highest grossing movie of 1995.

MUSIC

"Gin and Juice"

Future friend of the NHL and legendary rapper Snoop Dogg was making hockey references all the way back in the day.

When Snoop burst on the scene back in 1994 one of his star-making songs was "Gin and Juice." And back then, kids, when a song was released it was accompanied by an equally important -- nay, MORE important -- thing called a music video which would play on a channel called MTV.

While the young people Google that last sentence we can only tell you that Snoop's choice to don a then-road-black Pittsburgh Penguins jersey in his video made it the epitome of cool.

Have a look: (Don't worry, it's the edited for language version)

Years later Snoop would perform and then play in-house DJ for the 2017 NHL All-Star Game in Los Angeles. And he's always involved in fun stuff with the Kings.

The man loves some hockey and who could blame him?

"King of Wishful Thinking"

British pop duo Go West, Peter Cox and Richard Drummie, struck gold with its 1990 hit single "King of Wishful Thinking," which was attached to the iconic rom-com "Pretty Woman."

But man, the list of things in that video reads like a "Saturday Night Live" Stefon sketch. This video has everything: Gigantic Julia Roberts impersonators, zebras, crossing guards, double-breasted suits, a pope, a man using a wrench as a microphone, ballet dancers, a mariachi band and yes, even hockey players.

Bonus points for Drummie wearing the black Kings hat. Not sure how big hockey was in England, but maybe he had a smart costume designer for the video.

"Tonight Show" host and very good hockey fan Jimmy Fallon remade the sketch with actor Paul Rudd a few years ago.

No, we don't know why, but Fallon even wore the Kings hat. Maybe the most important part of it.