Joe Hanson (soccer)

Joseph Hanson (born August 10, 2003) is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League. Hanson is notably the first player from the Yukon to ever sign and play professional soccer.

Early life
Hanson was born in Whitehorse, Yukon to an American father and a Canadian mother. He began playing youth soccer at age five with the Total Soccer Excellence Academy, which was run by his father. He later joined Yukon Selects FC. Soon after, he had an opportunity to be a guest player from an Alaskan team, before joining Washington state club Crossfire Premier for tournament matches (but not league matches) between 2014 and 2016, where he won Washington State championships with the team at U10, U11, and U12 levels, while still also playing with the Yukon Selects. In 2018, he played at the Canada Soccer National U15 Championships, helping the Selects to a 7th place finish, which was the highest finish for a club from the Yukon. In May 2019, he joined the Vancouver Island Wave, winning the British Columbia title with them that summer. He then joined the Vancouver Whitecaps Academy in August 2019, becoming the first player from the Yukon to join the Whitecaps academy. In May 2021, he began playing with the Vancouver Whitecaps U23 team.

Club career
In March 2022, he signed a professional contract with Whitecaps FC 2 in MLS Next Pro, becoming the first player from the Yukon to sign a professional soccer contract. He made his debut in the team's debut match on March 26, 2022, coming on as a substitute against Houston Dynamo 2. On April 24, 2022, he scored his first goal against Sporting Kansas City II. He departed the club after the 2023 season, upon the expiry of his contract, having made 37 appearances for the club.

In April 2024, he signed with Valour FC of the Canadian Premier League. He made his debut on April 14 against Vancouver FC, becoming the first player from the Yukon to play in the Canadian Premier League.

Personal life
During off periods from his professional career, he would return to his hometown in the Yukon to host youth soccer camps. With his status as the first player from the Yukon, he has been nicknamed 'Yukon Joe' by his teammates.