Dave Hanson - Slap shot original : the man, the foil, and the legend

This book is dedicated to some very exceptional people in my life, four of whom I miss dearly every day: my mom, whose precious love always made me feel special; my brother, whose smile and dimples will never fade from memory; and Gram and Pap, who were two incredible blessings in my life.

To my wife Sue, who has endured, supported, challenged, guided, and loved me during our roller-coaster life together. To my beautiful children, Erin, Sarah, and Christian, who are evidence that Gods miracles still happen on earth.

To my dad and sisters, Bud, Joni, and Joyce, who are more precious to me than theyll ever know.

To my Lord Jesus Christ, who has provided me with a guardian angel that continues to work overtime.

To God, who has truly blessed me.

Contents

Preface

I t all started harmlessly enough back in 2006 when I called up Dave Killer Hanson out of the blue to introduce myself and tell him that I wanted to interview him for a new book I was writing about the honor code in professional hockey. Being a hockey player from Minnesota, I had known of Dave and been a huge fan of the movie Slap Shot. In these parts, the Hanson Brothers are like hockey royalty. I knew that Dave had a reputation for being a tough-as-nails warrior who had fought many battles on the ice over the years. I wanted to talk to him about The Code, and to get his thoughts on everything from good old-fashioned fisticuffs to the art of intimidation to his take on the legacy of the greatest sports movie ever made. What I found was that in addition to being incredibly poignant, thoughtful, and insightful, this man was also extremely funny and down to earth.

I was fascinated to learn about his adventures while navigating through the murky underbelly of hockeys minor leagues. I was enthralled to hear about how he was able to rack up more than 2,000 career penalty minutes, most of them with his bare knuckles. And I was left wide-eyed and aching from listening to all of his hilarious stories. I wanted to know more. There was the one about the time he actually tore the toupee off the great Bobby Hull during the middle of a fracas; and there was another one about the time his old teammate in Birmingham, Frankie Never Beaton, came flying out of the locker room buck naked to take part in an all-out melee up in Winnipeg. As the author of more than 40 sports books, trust me when I tell youyou just cant make this stuff up.

Dave called me several months later to tell me that he really enjoyed my book and that he appreciated the fact that I had written about his role as an enforcer in an honorable light. He was grateful that I didnt just refer to him as a goon, and that I talked at great length about the respect guys like him had for this great game. He liked how I was able to convey the message that without players like Dave Hanson doing the dirty work, there probably wouldnt be players like Wayne Gretzky or Sydney Crosby dishing out picture-perfect passes and scoring breathtaking goals. He was glad that I was celebrating the virtues of honor, courage, and respectthe cornerstones behind every heavyweight enforcerand spoke of the sacrifices that those players made for their teammates.

From those humble beginnings that afternoon, Dave and I really hit it off, and today I am proud to call him my friend. From there we immediately began discussing how I could help him write his life story. That is the genesis of this incredible saga. I immediately called my publisher in Chicago and pitched them the idea. They liked it, but they wanted to hear more. I asked them if they were aware of the fact that Slap Shot was actually the number two rented video of all time, behind only Animal House and just ahead of Caddyshack ? They had no idea. I then explained to them how the cultlike popularity of the movie, with all of its classic one-liners, was legendary within hockey circles. I even told them that they would be hard-pressed to find a mens league across North America where there wasnt at least one team donning Charlestown Chiefs jerseys and talking about Puttin on the foil and about how the F*cking machine took my quarter! Close, but they still wanted a little more.

So I enlightened them about how an obscure comedy made more than three decades ago starring Paul Newman, which was based on the hilarious and outrageous real-life antics of a tough-as-hell minor league hockey team in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, called the Jets was able to achieve classic status thanks to Dave Hanson and the notorious Carlson brothers. The parody focuses on a fictitious Federal League team called the Charlestown Chiefs, a perennial loser due to be folded at seasons end because of the mill closing in town. In a last-ditch desperation move to win the championship, the teams veteran player-coach Reggie Dunlop (played by Newman), goes out on a limb and acquires the Hanson Brothers, happy-go-lucky bespectacled goons played by Dave Hanson and Jeff and Steve Carlson, who beat the hell out of anything and everything in their path. Their overly aggressive and homicidal style of play inspires their teammates and is eaten up by the fans, who come out in droves to see them in action. They, of course, go on to terrorize the league and win the title, providing an absolutely hilarious and satirical look at what professional hockey was really like back in the early 70s. I explained to them how the movie was much deeper than just cheap laughs, though, and about how it was really a case of art imitating life. They were sold.

Welcome to Slap Shot Original, a book that aims to both entertain and enlighten you. In it, Dave Hanson provides an amazing firsthand look as to what really went on behind the scenes of this iconic movie and shares much of that wisdom with us. He also takes us on a journey from the frozen ponds of St. Paul to the University of Minnesota to just about everywhere in between on his quest to make it in the National Hockey League. Like Doc Moonlight Graham of Field of Dreams lore, who magically gets his wish granted to play in one professional baseball game, so too Dave briefly makes it to the show, where he scores one career NHL goal. This amazing odyssey of Dave chasing his dream across North America is worth the price of admission. The punches, politics, and partying along the way are never ending and far reaching. It is not just a funny book about hockey, though. It is much deeper than that. Dave shares his most intimate and vulnerable life experiences with us and brings us along for the ride. It is a story of inspiration and hope as well as vulgarity and hilarity. Once you get to know the real Dave, however, and get past his gruff and stitched-up exterior, you will find a teddy bear of a father and husband who truly loves his family. That, more than anything, will be his lasting legacy. Cheers!

Ross Bernstein

Acknowledgments

I f I were to list all of the people Id like to recognize for giving me a story to tell and helping me with its telling, it would take an entire chapter of its own. Since I cant do that, Ill acknowledge a few of the many with thanks for helping to make this book possible.

To my brothers Steve and Jeff Carlson who continue to give me side-splitting laughs and an enjoyable way to escape the daily grind by putting on the foil and the glasses for our adoring fans.

To my fellow loogan friend Paul Newman for that fateful knock on my apartment door in 1976 and for his willingness to write my books foreword before an unfortunate setback prevented him from sharing his thoughts with us.

To Patti Jackson, our Universal champion who continues to believe and fight for our cause.

To Bob Costas and Gordie Howe for their friendship and awesome forewords.