Meet Al Iafrate: The Man With The Fastest Hockey Shot In History | Pat McAfee Show

[@Mike-ge7pe]

Al Iafrate is out there clockin 105 with a dog bone and dude captures every frame with a 250 pound camcorder. Old school hockey was great

[@segueoyuri]

tbf they are filming it from behind. It's not moving that much from that angle

[@nicklengyel356]

Yes it was great. Miss that type of hockey

[@landonwood8651]

Al McInnis blowing a hole through through the boards is better than Al Iafretes hammer. Also, iafrete was a chain smoker and would dart hard outside after every period his whole career. Boss.

[@bananas1471]

The exact reason why this show needs to continue the hockey talk 😂

[@nkyb100]

Al Iafrate could hit a puck across the Great Lakes and knock a beer can off the dock. What a beast

[@marksibley4546]

Al could Shoot the puck very hard

[@mvwoon]

Well. There's a lot of beer cans on the other side. Kinda hard to not miss one.

[@Coltyyyyyyyy]

I saw him play in Toronto as a kid. The guy has crazy mad skills. I saw him blast a shot from just past center ice and it broke the glass behind the goalie.

[@billboggs6641]

​@@Coltyyyyyyyyso accurate. Lol

[@dmorles]

Damn that hair reminds me of Soda Pop from Mike Tyson’s punch out. What a beauty.

[@hellogoodbyegoodnight]

Old footage used a long lens which will compress then depth of the shot, meaning the puck will look slower as it seems it's is traveling less distance. New footage had a wider lens which does not compress the depth of the shot as much. Meaning the puck looks like its traveling a more accurate distance which will make it look faster. Also different camera angles make a difference.

[@Chubbs-ui7wp]

Seem to be the only feller that knows ha

[@HockeyTownHooligan5]

They need one of those black and white speed boards they used on mythbusters and film perpendicular to the puck.

[@NathanAnderson77]

10 minutes of pure gold

[@TS1023TS]

Dudes are incredible. So funny

[@DanielGarcia-xg8qs]

Facts

[@Stefnmaddy]

I may have watched this 10x

[@sports2hedz542]

Who shot this!?!?!...CBC...Thank you Canada ... 🤣🤣🤣

[@JohnnyShrapnel]

He hit 111.1mph at the Capitols team skills day. Hardest shot ever recorded but considered unofficial because it wasn't league verified with an NHL representative present to inspect the materials used. Absolute CANNON

[@fuse557]

With old school twig!

[@harborwolf22]

He would smoke butts between shifts on the bench. Absolute legend.

[@tripsaplenty1227]

You are thinking of the late Guy Lafleur or maybe Al did to.

[@MeLoNHeAd00]

​@@tripsaplenty1227both did

[@harborwolf22]

@@tripsaplenty1227 Al did too

[@UnderwaterAlexJones]

@@tripsaplenty1227 Al was a 2 pack a day guy. He's smoke a half packa game.

[@craigcrawford6749]

So did Guy Lafleur. Died of lung cancer

[@kingbud4966]

Its legit. The angle just makes the puck easier to track than charas.

[@benisrood]

EXACTLY. And you can clearly tell that the cameraman back then knew what he was doing, there's less blur because the shutter interval (speed) on the video camera is shorter (faster), and back then cameras didn't use rolling shutters so the result was a more stable picture w.r.t motion. Isn't Foxy supposed to know about this stuff?

[@Cocpain]

Your right, the angle, along with broadcast cameras of this time shot at 28fps, so no matter how fast the shot, that's what you get on TV, and not to mention tape delay. It is filmed before it's broadcasted, it happens all at the same time but it makes a lag, that's also the reason those cameras where so big in LIVE broadcasts back then. Also, he hit bottom bar, on the net restraint (the canvas sleeve that goes around said bar) and popped the whole thing, no doubt there was heat on that shot.

[@BH-gh6qm]

you're*@@Cocpain

[@Cocpain]

@@BH-gh6qm SO thats all you got, I mean I know you couldn't have any idea what I was saying, so this was a good use of your time... Did I use it right that time teach??

[@BH-gh6qm]

you have? *@@Cocpain

[@daveonezero6258]

I predict he is on the show in the next few weeks The turn around from dissing this guy and then just praising him was awesome. Best part of this show.

[@Nezzy750]

Yeah because they found out he was an American. Pat is a moron. Hilarious, but dumb as rocks.

[@Chris_Ireland]

The Skullet

[@comadoof]

This is HIM. This comments deserves to blow up

[@shrapnel77]

Even back then, I was like, 'Dude, shave your head!"

[@RyTrapp0]

It's not quite the legit peak 'Strapping Young Lad' HevyDevy skullet - but it's a pretty nice skullet!

[@showland2727]

105 with a wooden stick is amazing

[@garett9510]

Makes you wonder what they could do with something knew.

[@blueshky]

@@garett9510 The sticks have improved over the years obviously, but Al MacInnis switched to a composite later in his career, (early 2000's) and had to go back to wood as he was always breaking them

[@garett9510]

@@blueshky That goes with my other comment. Al MacInnis was a beast with the shot.

[@sid7088]

​​@@blueshkyAl retired in '98. At best he might have been using an aluminum stick by then.

[@blueshky]

@@sid7088 MacInnis. Not Iafrate.

[@jeanjacques9365]

It's like toddlers not understanding that if you look at a f1 in perpendicular (facing the opposite side of the track) you barely see it at all, but if you look at it from behind it looks very slow... you cant see Chara's shot because they framed 3 feet beyond the stick (3 feet at 100mph is a split second) and in Lafrate's you see the whole 20ish feet from the stick to the net with even more distance between him and the stationary camera. Quick example look at recordings of a rocket launched into space it looks slow and watch the isle of man TT motorcycle race footage the motorcycles zoom past the camera in a few frames and you feel like they are insanely fast yet the rocket moves at 25 000 mph and the motorcycles go "only" 160mph. Perspective!

[@benisrood]

Perfectly expressed, thank you. It was painful.

[@segueoyuri]

exactly. People not understanding the puck is pretty much in a straight line from the camera is amazing lol

[@erikknezevich3619]

Very well said, my friend.

[@RottenPretzel42]

This is one of the funniest clips in this shows history!!

[@dadbod80s]

He actually took a Slapshot. Broke the Kelly Hrudey shoulder pad and shattered the glass. Al was a beast and could chuck the knuckles as well.

[@frankhassle9366]

Wasn't that Al Macinnis of the Flames? I think you got your Al's mixed up.

[@Conada1002]

Al Iafrate didn’t have a muffin He had a heavy hard shot It’s legit

[@Deadman1817]

Agreed

[@kjphoto]

…AND he was the skater used in the USA Hockey instructional videos on how to skate. That dude was scary fast.

[@livethegimmick24-7]

Al's son Max was a really good player, too. He played for a junior team I had season tix for. Nice kid and Al would occasionally be outside smoking a cigar. Al is a real cool guy.

[@kevinwelch160]

Give Al a composite stick back then his shot would’ve hit 110 easy!

[@nicklengyel356]

True no doubt on that

[@UncleRosie]

Al Macinnis, Bobby Hull and Al Iafrete could take the new breed to school. They had more time and space to shoot. Big curves on their blades too which helps. Laminate wood/ fibreglass sticks had enormous potential energy but didn’t last long. Heavy and fragile but when they flexed and survived they really revved the puck.

[@yotoober1]

I was waiting to read someone else mention the other Dman, Al, MacInnis, he could blast a puck pretty fast too!

[@hockeyguy2005]

As a hockey guy thank you for the coverage of my favorite team and one of my favorite players . Damn i miss those old school jerseys. John Druce had a slap shot too... Dale hunter, Rod Langway, Don Beaupre goalie, Alan May, Peter bondra ... caps fan since early 80s. Which brings me to YOU ya stooge. Ya yinzer , Patty McAfee... you pens fan.. you got at least 2 of our rings we shoulda had ya stooge. 😂😂😂

[@chrisw5604]

Hahaha, loved the comment. Those early caps/pens series were awesome (for the pens). That 4 goal game from Dino. Mario with 5 points every other game. Donnie beaupre was a name made for a Pgh accent haha

[@dmoore4520]

Peter Bondra is like my hockey hero. Dale Hunter was my pops favorite. I loved big Chris Simon as a kid. Named after a Hatcher bro, gotta love hockey!

[@hockeyguy2005]

@@dmoore4520 Simon was a heavy handed son of a gun ... he was our Tom Wilson back then lol...one of my favorites was Steve knowalchuk back in the day. Hockey is the best man. It's the only thing that when I talk about it it gives me goosebumps man. Lot of memories . I was a goalie and as a kid my first poster on my wall was donnie Beaupre in pads and it had his full height in scale and I'd try to measure myself next to it. My best friend was a flyers fan and it's my core memory beating philly 3-0 and loving Patrick division hockey... man I miss those old divisions. I miss my best friend even more. Grant got me into hockey. We played together. They called him Grantzky cuz he was so good that mfer lol. Love the man. He's not here anymore . Hockey's the best man. Fact caps first game back is tonight and I can't wait. Let's go caps

[@aaronbarrie180]

I still have the VHS of that skills comp. I remember questioning that in ‘93. I couldn’t believe he could hit it harder than Al MacInnis.

[@MikeCo32]

And Big Al is still doing it. I played in a charity tournament with him, and when he wound up from the point, it was like the parting of the seas. Players were diving out of the way.

[@christopherbenedict6570]

Gotta get Al on the show. See what haircut he's rocking nowadays.

[@Coltyyyyyyyy]

I saw him last week. He's bald

[@jerry4249]

Seen him at an alumni game a few years ago. He's the definition of a fuckin' beauty.

[@kurbd17]

Al Iafraite coached at Compuware arena in Plymouth MI I witnessed him with a new one piece stick hit 110

[@Jonesy1978]

Did not know that, interesting fact..

[@jonnymccormack3009]

Bud, Mr. Pat McAfee has a lifelong fan in this guy, you're appreciation of hockey is beautiful!

[@jonnymccormack3009]

p.s. bud''s mullet is magnificent, pure BC Buddy that's Fantastic Flow

[@stephendeboer1999]

I wish Al Macinnis was mentioned in this video, dude had a monster slapshot 😏

[@keepmeposted]

Just clips of him on power play even, players would duck and cover

[@dmonsef]

I remember one time Macinnis shot injured a goalie in a game. The goalie had to go to the locker room to get equipment repairs and be attended for some severe soreness!

[@coalminergroupie]

He was such a character. I miss him in the NHL

[@jhatgotagat300]

I had the pleasure of not alone meeting this man but taking a hockey camp he ran, I was the only cool cat to pull out the ole spin-o-Rama at the end when we did shoot outs for fun. He apparently was cracking up so says my father. He was cool tho, still could take a clapper around 90-100 my dad guessed based on his warm ups in the mid 2000s. I don’t remember much, I was really young but he was hugeeee and a tough looking sob

[@bravedown50]

“The Planet” Al Iafrate! I remember him on the Sharks

[@chunter3882]

Finally a real mans sports. Instead of talking about kicking a ball all day.

[@seanschmidt143]

The original Skullet. Absolute beauty

[@realtalk5931]

It’s legit 100%. Iafreighttrain’s shot was absolutely insane. With the new sticks he’d rip over 110 easy.

[@josepho7083]

Need Al on show tomorrow

[@Jt7166]

Al Iafrate is an absolute Bro. Get him on the show he’d fit right in. Might need to wait until it’s YT only though 😂

[@smokintruker27]

Zdeno chara is the record holder. 108mph in 2012

[@mmonkeyman1403]

Weber and Chara hit slapshots so hard that guys would want to get out of the way at risk of their bones breaking.

[@danb239]

Martin Frk beat that in the AHL

[@Secretservice709]

Martin Frk 109

[@BDCMatt]

​@@mmonkeyman1403 remember he broke someones thigh bone with a shot. Some poor bastard on the rangers...

[@BDCMatt]

It was Callahan.

[@harborwolf22]

Fun fact, Iafrate was one of the few guys who's slapshot could bust the head of a player open in some of the NHL games.

[@isaacwest276]

People can make fun of Craig Ludwig's massive leg pads he used to block shots, but man if I had Iafrate or MacInnis winding up a shot in front of me I want an Abrams tank there too.

[@BobbyBoucher228]

@@isaacwest276Al Macinnis broke Mike Liut’s mask in half with a shot. But I’ll take a hard pass of getting in the way of either of the Hammering Al’s shots. Could you even imagine how hard either of them in their prime would fire it with the sticks they use nowadays.

[@nathanstender1124]

The camera was set for Iafrate. For the Chara shot, the camera is moving behind him and Chara crosses in front of the camera. The camera can't zoom on the puck correctly. Of course you can't see it.

[@northofnashira2575]

Anybody else having NHL '95 flashbacks?

[@JTD472]

Loved Sakic on there

[@3Torts]

He came out to one of our practices when I was a kid. I was shooting with him after and the net was off the pegs. He kept moving it backward with each shot. HEAVY shot. 100+

[@derekcanales8477]

It's always awesome how they bring these legendary stories and people front and center in 2024

[@edalder2000]

I grew up in Annapolis, MD. There was a station on Main St in downtown 30 years ago called WHVY. All hard rock and metal. Al Iafrate had a two hour show every week on WHVY where he would chat with the DJ and play curated tracks for two hours. It was called "Al Iafraite's Afternoon Power Play."

[@tombray3169]

Wendell Clark's wrist shot was pretty crazy

[@davispailliotet508]

Iafrate will always be a beast, and the collective IQ of this panel will never exceed 105

[@jameshorton7496]

Al Iafrate now lives in Plymouth, Michigannd this past summer had a birthday party and my son's band played for him. Said Iafrate is a super nice person and showed him all of his hockey memorabilia.

[@comadoof]

Lmao. Subban playing along is gold

[@owenator]

Camera technology was way different and why it looked slower

[@dmoore4520]

One of my favorite segments ever growing up as a caps fan. We ALL knew Iafrate 😂😂

[@soddog4]

Al Iafrate not only had one of the best clappers, but he he had one of the best quotes of all time. Look up is thoughts on empty net goals. What a legend.

[@goldenretriever6261]

Didn't he bang Gary Leeman's wife?

[@flaviusfake271]

Its called FPS frame per seconds. Watching a old recording what do expect it appears even slower when you watch older footage.

[@MadisonKnobgoblr]

Al is a personal friend of mine, he is such a solid guy, super nice and always willing to have a conversation with anyone. He doesnt have any hair now, and I dont think he would want the skullett back! lol

[@bobbobertson7568]

I believe his niece went to our school in Michigan. He was a legend. Look at that shot. He deserves way more respect, he did that 105 with a log.

[@gillies0317]

Martin Frk holds the record of hardest shot of 109.2 mph

[@chickenwings6172]

A made up player lol

[@douglasiles2024]

Iafrate and MacInnis were the absolute beasts of the slap shot. If a guy went down to block one of theirs, you'd often see them go to the bench and maybe even miss a shift, trying to recover from the impact of the puck.

[@vwharman]

Famously crushed darts back in the day. Fierce skullet. Total legend.

[@lordstanley34]

I saw this guy live years and years ago when he was with the capitals. It was before a game but at the end of warmups. He was hittin’ slap shots from the defensive zone blue line to the opposite end corners, puttin’ pucks consistently into the top 3 to 4’ of corner glass. It’s almost like he was trying to hit a strike zone from a 130 feet. That was pretty damn cool.

[@mattb6514]

Subbed! Keep the hockey clips coming 😂 Cheers from Berta 🇨🇦

[@TreewaterAC]

Knowing the deeper they would dive into the skullet, the more theyd love him.and watching that unfold was amazing lol 😂

[@isaacwest276]

One of my favorite stories from this is Al MacInnis, who I should hate as an Oilers fan since he was a legendary Flame, but I'm too young to remember that stuff and I gotta respect talent. Late in the '90s everyone was transitioning to the new carbon-fiber sticks but MacInnis liked the feel of the traditional wooden sticks and so stuck with them. He still won the hardest shot competition four years in a row (1997-2000). The Calgary Flames selected him in the 1981 draft for his shooting power alone (he developed everything else well into his career, but to start he was terrible at everything except blasting the puck). In his first full season, his slapshot split Mike Liut's goalie mask in 1984. Liut would go on to say "There's hard and then there's Al MacInnis hard. I tried to get out of the way. If it happens too often, you have to sit down and re-evaluate what you're doing with your life." I do remember Shea Weber's shot breaking the net though, and Phaneuf breaking the glass twice in the same game.

[@mdwm1981]

MacInnis broke the boards with his slapshot and they had to delay the game to put a new panel behind the net. There's footage on KZbin. Name one other hardest shooter that's ever done that

[@keepmeposted]

With that Sherwood he would use!

[@timvyfvinkel4542]

Brother in law worked security in Ottawa when Washington played them years back. Al sat down on bench in hallway to locker rooms between periods and lined 4 cigarettes beside him on the bench. He proceeded to chain smoke all 4 cigarettes, and never went into the dressing room, went back out on the ice when team came out.

[@CaptianMac]

It's a lot easier to make it look faster with the camera moving, whereas Al Iafrate, it was a still camera.

[@patton303]

Al Iafrate could clap a puck through a Tim Horton’s drive through window from 200ft, and it would pay for your coffee.

[@EzBHP]

My dad does main game cam, he hated the early 2010 era of using a handheld trailer cam in the shootouts with a passion, made you feel sick and couldn’t see anything. He couldn’t believe they opted to use it for the hardest shot competition.

[@Cashbrook20]

This show is the freaking best! 😂😂

[@D-Fens_1632]

Dude invented the skullet too. Legend. I always toss him in when I play NHL 94 as All Stars East.

[@konasavage]

Iafrate vs MacInnis for hardest shot was awesome

[@sdeepj]

Al Iafrate is a pure bad ass. Show the man respect

[@GlitchedPerception]

When they got that flow! 😂

[@32a34a]

The deformation of Chara's stick is one reason he was able to get that speed not to mention when your 6'9" and 250 you got a whole bunch of momentum behind that stick.

[@CharlieTWilbury]

Al Iafrate went from hero to bum to legend in 10 minutes.

[@AndrewTimothy91]

Love the hockey talk

[@scottyblades666]

Leafs legend Al Iafrate.

[@bbm1077]

PK what a legend, good ol Canadian boy.

[@ronaldadams3230]

Al is awesome, I live in Metro Detroit, saw a Giant badass dude with a triangle bald spot running every day in the off season. I never bothered him, dude did talk to my GF a few times, smart man, but yelled AL every time I drove past which he would keep running and throw his hand up in acknowledgment. My man looked like a Tank. Pat doesn't believe the heat, I have been clocked at 80-90mph, I can waste one on his calf.

[@michaelt312]

Stationary camera from behind vs moving camera from behind or from the side. Stationary from behind the shot will track better.

[@habs798693]

Back in the day, low-center shots registered faster than high shots that went left or right. I remember the commentators talking about that when I watched the skills competitions. Also, low-center shots are easier for our eyes to track than wild shots that go high left or right.

[@Jbonethekid]

also he started at the red line, now today they start at the blue line

[@davebank3218]

When Sami Salo on Vancouver canucks was in second year... iafrate was Ufa... wanted him soooo much as a teacher for Sami

[@jeremiahgallagher]

GET THE LEGEND AL IAFRATE ON THE SHOW BOYS I hate it when people go all caps but this is important

[@PaceFootball]

Love ole Al Iafrate

[@Catechuman23]

This is top 5 clips of the show, ever.

[@loilt5091]

B.S., Bobby & Dennis Hull… Fastest shot❓ You really know the game, junior 🇨🇦

[@chickenwings6172]

Who is Dennis Hull? Bobby Hull could shoot 119 MPH Bobby Hull's slap shot was estimated to be as fast as 119 miles per hour (190.5 km/h). Hull's slapshot was so powerful that some say he could shoot through a car wash without getting the puck wet.

[@loilt5091]

@@chickenwings6172 Howe old are you?

[@Jrockjeff]

PK is great Hope to see more of him on here

[@hugh2hoob668]

Ziggy Palffy another UNDERRATED legend

[@rossmontreal4570]

Al’s angle 100% better angle than any hardest shot in history!! 💚💚💚🇨🇦 I believe it still to this day!!

[@therapist6328]

When one of my teammates was drafted by the Flames, Big Al picked him up at the airport, on his Harley!

[@zanetusken]

A possible reason you can see Iafrate's shot and Chara's is blurry could be because one was recorded on analog media so it would be broadcast 60fps for standard North American 60hz NTSC televisions. Chara's might have been on digital so at that time maybe 30 fps - would look more blurry slowed down.

[@FullVenomJacket]

More Hockey talk Pat. This was wicked

[@achewy80]

Gotta get big Al on the show!!

[@JackpotToys]

Did not expect Pat to be talking about one of my favorite players ever

[@danevertt3210]

Every time I played NHL ‘94, I trade for Al McGiunes and Al Iafrate…. It was awesome

[@joelvinson]

When Iafrate played in San Jose, I walked into the men's room to one day and there's this large man, glorious half-mullet, two bags of ice taped to his legs..and a lit cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I was a kid, so I freaked out and ran for my life. He was intimidating as FK.

[@kidt3068]

I grew up in DC and watched Iafrate shoot over 100mph multiple times during a capitals skills event.

[@kidt3068]

I wish Al Iafrate was there for this segment 😂 He had a short fuse. I witnessed it behind Piney Orchard practice facility. Ripped out of the parking lot on his Harley Davidson soft tail!!! The guy was bad ass!!!

[@pgorodiloff]

This guy was the man

[@will_ashbless]

Plenty of better Al Iafrate footage. Dude was 6'3" 240 with a temper. He would throw hands with anybody, then go smoke a cig. His head was the inspiration for the term "skullet", which was his version of a mullet. But in reality, injuries did him in. He was actually a great player whose career was cut short.

[@donaldleider7382]

Bobby Hull, 120 mph, Guinness Book of world records, sorry Al.

[@chickenwings6172]

Wrong Bobby Hull's slap shot was estimated to be as fast as 119 miles per hour (190.5 km/h). Hull's slapshot was so powerful that some say he could shoot through a car wash without getting the puck wet.

[@donaldleider7382]

@ I stand corrected, I do remember that quote, but please don’t beat me up for 1MPH! lol 😆

[@TimLoyalToWifeHaterFreeZoneA]

Love It Pat ThePatMcAfeeShow Bro Let's Gooooooooo.

[@hebber1961]

They used to talk about how it was all about where the puck entered the net. Had to be low to the ice dead centre and it seemed to give better speeds. Don't know if true but it is what was said. I never thought it looked 105 either.

[@TheScotian82]

I watched Iafrate take those shots, MacInnis after him, the two Al's could smash it.

[@atrealdino6667]

Started in the parking lot pk 🤣🤣🤣

[@mxgg139]

Love how they were shitting on Al Iafrate the whole time then found out he was from Michigan and now they believe 😂

[@kentrosenlund7034]

They had aluminum shafts for awhile from around 81 and then composite shafts came in around 90. Both used wood blades