Hanson Brothers

Biography & Overview

The Hanson Brothers are a fictional trio of siblings who played for the fictional minor league ice hockey team the Charlestown Chiefs in the 1977 movie Slap Shot and its two sequels. The characters – Dave, Steve, and Jeff Hanson – were based on real-life siblings Jack, Steve, and Jeff Carlson, who played for the 1974-75 Johnstown Jets in the North American Hockey League. Characters Steve and Jeff Hanson were portrayed by their real-life namesakes Steve and Jeff. Jack Carlson was unavailable at the time of filming, so the role of Dave Hanson was portrayed by fellow Johnstown Jets teammate David Hanson. David himself was the inspiration for another character in the movie, Dave "Killer" Carlson, who was portrayed by Jerry Houser. The original screenplay was written by Nancy Dowd, sister of Johnstown Jets teammate Ned Dowd, who also appeared in the movie as the character Ogie Ogelthorpe.
The movie is an R-rated comedy starring Paul Newman as player-coach Reggie Dunlop. It follows the st...