Former hockey player, beloved 'Slap Shot' movie star Guido Tenesi dead at 71

"We're saddened to learn of the passing of Guido Tenesi, a member of our roster during the 1974 Calder Cup championship, and was known to many more for his role as Billy Charlebois in the classic hockey film "Slapshot," the Bears wrote in a social media post. "Our hearts are with his family, friends, and teammates."

A cause of death was not immediately released.

The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted Tenesi in the fifth round of the 1973 NHL amateur draft. He also spent time competing in multiple professional hockey leagues and had a two-year stint with the Penguins minor-league affiliate in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Tenesi won the North American Hockey League title when he played for the Johnstown Jets during the 1974-75 season. Tenesi recalled his time with the team and how it helped him land the role in the classic sports movie.

The plot of "Slap Shot" followed the story of a failing minor league hockey team named the Charlestown Chiefs. Actor and director Paul Newman portrayed coach Reggie Dunlop in the film.

Steve Carlson, who also starred in the movie, mourned his late co-star Tenesi as a "good guy gone too soon." 

In another post on Friday, Carlson remembered Tenesi as "forever a Chief."

"Rest easy, #5 - you're forever a Chief," he wrote.