David Hanson

• Name — David Hanson • Position — Defense • Played For — Detroit Red Wings Minnesota North Stars New England Whalers Minnesota Fighting Saints Birmingham Bulls • Shoots — Left • Height Ft — 6 • Height In — 1 • Weight Lb — 205 • Born — 12 April 1954 • Birthplace — Cumberland, Wisconsin, U.S. • Draft — Undrafted • Wha Draft — 59th overall • Wha Draft Team — Minnesota Fighting Saints • Wha Draft Year — 1974 • Career Start — 1974 • Career End — 1984

Hanson was born in Cumberland, Wisconsin, and grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he eventually starred in football, baseball and hockey at Humboldt Senior High School. Hanson continued playing hockey for the St. Paul Vulcans and for Herb Brooks's University of Minnesota college team. Hanson played four seasons for the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League, and the New England Whalers, Minnesota Fighting Saints and Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association. In a playoff game for the Bulls, he accidentally knocked off the hairpiece of Bobby Hull, who had to take a moment in the dressing room to get a helmet. He was originally cast as "Dave 'Killer' Carlson" in the 1977 film Slap Shot, but when Jack Carlson was unable to perform because his team was in the playoffs, Hanson was recast as "Jack Hanson", one of the Hanson Brothers. Professional actor Jerry Houser was then cast as "Killer", the character based on Dave Hanson. Hanson appeared in several other films, and won a "DVD Premiere Award", along with fellow Hanson Brothers Steve and Jeff Carlson (brothers of Jack Carlson), for his part in the 2002 sequel Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice. In 1977, Hanson married Sue Kaschalk, a coal miner's daughter from Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania. He has two daughters and one son, Christian, a center whose professional career included time with the Toronto Maple Leafs, AHL teams and the Norwegian champion Stavanger Oilers. From 1984 to 1991, Hanson served as the general manager of the Gore Mountain Ski Area in the Adirondack Mountains and worked under Ned Harkness, who had been the general manager of the Adirondack Red Wings when Hanson played for the AHL team. After that, a recommendation from Harkness led to his appointment as the general manager of the Capital District Islanders, an AHL franchise in Upstate New York. In 1993, he organized a reunion of the Hanson Brothers before one of the team's home games that sold out the arena and also drew national attention. Hanson was fired from the position prior to the start of the 1993–94 season, after the team had relocated within the Capital District and became the Albany River Rats. As of 2015 he resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and manages a sports center at Robert Morris University.

• Regular season — Playoffs • Season — Team — League — GP — G — A — Pts — PIM — GP — G — A — Pts — PIM • 1973–74 — St. Paul Vulcans — MidJHL — 56 — 9 — 13 — 22 — 220 — — — — — — — — — — • 1973–74 — Marquette Iron Rangers — USHL — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — • 1974–75 — Johnstown Jets — NAHL — 72 — 10 — 24 — 34 — 249 — — — — — — — — — — • 1975–76 — Johnstown Jets — NAHL — 66 — 8 — 21 — 29 — 311 — 9 — 0 — 3 — 3 — 54 • 1976–77 — Johnstown Jets — NAHL — 6 — 0 — 3 — 3 — 27 — — — — — — — — — — • 1976–77 — Hampton Gulls — SHL — 28 — 5 — 7 — 12 — 188 — — — — — — — — — — • 1976–77 — Rhode Island Reds — AHL — 27 — 2 — 10 — 12 — 98 — — — — — — — — — — • 1976–77 — Minnesota Fighting Saints — WHA — 7 — 0 — 2 — 2 — 35 — — — — — — — — — — • 1976–77 — New England Whalers — WHA — 1 — 0 — 0 — 0 — 9 — 1 — 0 — 0 — 0 — 0 • 1977–78 — Kansas City Red Wings — CHL — 15 — 0 — 0 — 0 — 41 — — — — — — — — — — • 1977–78 — Hampton Gulls — AHL — 5 — 0 — 3 — 3 — 8 — — — — — — — — — — • 1977–78 — Birmingham Bulls — WHA — 42 — 7 — 16 — 23 — 241 — 5 — 0 — 1 — 1 — 48 • 1978–79 — Birmingham Bulls — WHA — 53 — 6 — 22 — 28 — 212 — — — — — — — — — — • 1978–79 — Detroit Red Wings — NHL — 11 — 0 — 0 — 0 — 26 — — — — — — — — — — • 1979–80 — Oklahoma City Stars — CHL — 6 — 0 — 0 — 0 — 12 — — — — — — — — — — • 1979–80 — Birmingham Bulls — CHL — 33 — 4 — 6 — 10 — 174 — — — — — — — — — — • 1979–80 — Minnesota North Stars — NHL — 22 — 1 — 1 — 2 — 39 — — — — — — — — — — • 1980–81 — Adirondack Red Wings — AHL — 77 — 11 — 21 — 32 — 267 — 18 — 1 — 4 — 5 — 30 • 1981–82 — Adirondack Red Wings — AHL — 75 — 11 — 23 — 34 — 206 — 5 — 1 — 3 — 4 — 23 • 1982–83 — Indianapolis Checkers — CHL — 80 — 18 — 21 — 39 — 285 — 5 — 1 — 3 — 4 — 2 • 1983–84 — Indianapolis Checkers — CHL — 1 — 0 — 0 — 0 — 0 — — — — — — — — — — • 1983–84 — Toledo Goaldiggers — IHL — 68 — 11 — 26 — 37 — 120 — 9 — 1 — 3 — 4 — 33 • WHA totals — 103 — 13 — 40 — 53 — 497 — 6 — 0 — 1 — 1 — 48 • NHL totals — 33 — 1 — 1 — 2 — 65 — — — — — — — — — —