Hanson Brother to commemorate 'Slap Shot' anniversary at Tomahawks game

Feb. 25—One of the Hanson Brothers will return to 1st Summit Arena @ Cambria County War Memorial on the 45th anniversary of the release date of the movie "Slap Shot."

Dave Hanson earned a reputation as an iconic and tough hockey player in Johnstown, both for his real-life role as an enforcer on the Johnstown Jets and his movie persona as one of the bespectacled Hanson Brothers.

Simply put, Johnstown hockey fans love Dave Hanson and the Hanson Brothers.

Hanson returns the favor.

"I jump at any excuse to get back to Johnstown," said Hanson, who will make an appearance before and during the Johnstown Tomahawks' game against the visiting Maryland Black Bears on Friday (7:30).

"Slap Shot" was released on Feb. 25, 1977. Much of the movie was filmed in Johnstown during the spring of 1976 and the plot was based on the 1974-75 championship Johnstown Jets team.

'Most favorite places'

"Johnstown is still one of my most favorite places that I ever played in and I've got a personal connection with my wife being from Nanty Glo," added the former player known as "Killer" during his days as a defenseman on the Jets' Lockhart Cup playoff championship squad. "I had my wedding reception at the Ace's. I've still got a lot of friends there."

Hanson, 67, will participate in a question-and-answer session at the Stars & Stripes Room in the War Memorial at 5 p.m. The pre-game session costs $16. Hanson will drop the ceremonial first puck at the Tomahawks game and sign autographs.

"You get back into that arena, even though they made some nice upgrades, you still walk in there and it still smells like it did when you walked in there in 1974 to 1976," said Hanson, who played on three Jets teams during a career that included 33 National Hockey League games with the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota North Stars. "It's all good memories."

'A huge staple'

Tomahawks Director of Business Operations Derek Partsch said it is appropriate that Hanson will be at the arena exactly 45 years since "Slap Shot" was released.

"Dave is a huge staple in this building with the movie and everything he's done for youth hockey and to grow the game," Partsch said. "Having him back here always is fun. We're planning a pre-game event where fans can come up to the Stars & Stripes Room an hour before the game, meet with him and hear a Q&A."

Hanson, who is executive director at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center, had 10 goals, 34 points and 249 penalty minutes in his first season in Johnstown. In 14 playoff games, he had a goal and 44 PIM as the Jets won the '75 championship in the professional North American Hockey League.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound defenseman had eight goals, 29 points and 311 penalty minutes on the 1975-76 Jets team that won the NAHL regular-season title, but was upset in the semifinal round of the playoffs.

That 1976 team might have been even better than the championship team in 1975.

Throughout the latter portion of the 1975-76 season, many Jets players, including Hanson and Steve and Jeff Carlson of Hanson Brothers, participated in filming of the Paul Newman movie "Slap Shot."

'Cult classic'

The Hansons helped make "Slap Shot" a cult classic, often stealing scenes despite the presence of well-known actors such as Newman, Michael Ontkean and Strother Martin. Nancy Dowd wrote the screenplay for the movie after following her brother Ned Dowd and his Jets teammates throughout the 1974-75 season. Ned Dowd had the movie role of the fearsome Ogie Oglethorpe.

The Hansons are based on the real-life brothers Jeff, Jack and Steve Carlson of the Jets. At the time of the filming, Jack Carlson was promoted to the World Hockey Association so Dave Hanson filled his spot as Jack Hanson in the movie.

Actor Jerry Houser took on the Dave "Killer" Carlson role based on Dave Hanson.

"It just continues to amaze me year after year," Dave Hanson said of the film's ongoing popularity. "Even after Jeff, Steve and I were put to the sidelines with this COVID thing and everything else that's gone on since, even though we don't get to travel the country as much, it still finds me."

When asked if the players had any idea they were filming a movie that would become a cult classic, Hanson was honest.

'Drink beer, eat onion rings'

"For me, quite frankly, the answer is no," he said. "It was one of those things where instead of us ending the season and heading back to Minnesota to play softball, drink beer and eat onion rings waiting for training camp to open in the fall, this was something different to keep us in town and see where it went.

"Even after the movie came out, my pursuit was to continue playing professional hockey and get to the WHA or the NHL. I had no idea about what the magnitude of what it was and what it was going to be."

Recently, both Jeff and Steve Carlson have encountered health issues. Steve Carlson occasionally posts updates about his current cancer treatments on social media.

Dave Hanson said there is a life-long bond between the former teammates and actors.

"The thing that amazes me the most, I was sitting in my office on Monday and a lot of kids came to go public skating because it was a holiday and there was no school," Hanson said. "A kid opened up my office door. He looked at me and said, 'Are you one of the Hanson Brothers?' This kid had to be all of 12 years old. I said, 'How did you figure that out?' He said, 'You looked like one.'

"You have a young generation that continues to connect and knows about the movie."

Partsch pointed to the Hanson Brothers' enthusiastic participation in Johnstown's successful campaign to win the Kraft Hockeyville USA title in 2015.

After Johnstown was voted Hockeyville, the Hansons also participated in activities associated with the NHL exhibition game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning at the renovated War Memorial in September 2015.

"When I think of Dave Hanson, I think of the impact the Hanson Brothers had when they were here for Hockeyville. They were at every event we did," Partsch said. "Everybody wanted them here. They spent the time. They came out for Johnstown when they had to. It's good to see Dave keeps doing that and we're happy to have him back."

Mike Mastovich is a sports reporter and columnist for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at 814-532-5083. Follow him on Twitter @Masty81.