User:Buffalkill/sandbox/Hansons

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 Carlson. Jack Carlson was unavailable at the time of filming, so the role of Dave Hanson was played by fellow Johnstown Jets teammate David Hanson. David Hanson was himself the inspiration for another character in the movie, Dave "Killer" Carlson, who was played 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 struggling Charlestown Chiefs in what is rumoured (and later confirmed) to be the team's last season, due to low ticket sales. The Hansons are a mid-season cut-rate acquisition by the team's owner, Joe McGrath. They are initially looked at with scorn by their teammates and coach, due to their childlike immaturity, thick black-rimmed glasses, and propensity for brawling. Team captain, Johnny Upton, sarcastically mused, "Jesus, what did the old man trade for these assholes, a used puck bag?" The brothers eventually prove their worth and generate a renewed enthusiasm as they lead the Chiefs to victory with their violent playing style.

The Hansons (and Slap Shot) have an enduring cultural following. They receive more than 300 requests per year to make appearances.

Public appearances
The idea of a Hanson Brothers reunion was first pitched to Steve Carlson in 1993 as a way to increase ticket sales for the Memphis Riverkings, a Central Hockey League team that he was then the coach of. The arena sold out. A few weeks later, they held a second reunion at a home game for the AHL Capital District Islanders where Dave Hanson was the general manager. That event sold out too. Sixteen years after the film's release, the Hansons began appearing in character at charity and promotional events at arenas throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. At their peak, they were making about 90 appearances per year and had a sponsorship deal with Budweiser.

Screenplay writer Nancy Dowd has been critical of the appearances, claiming they diminished the value of Slap Shot and violated her author's rights.

Legacy
"Steve Carlson has one of the most recognizable faces in hockey and is regularly swarmed by hockey fans. He and his "brothers" sign just as many autographs as some of the biggest names in the sport's history."

"Slap Shot" is still a staple on bus rides for amateur hockey teams that criss-cross Canada, which was sadly underscored in April when 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team died in a bus crash near Armley, Sask. A photo of a shattered "Slap Shot" DVD found at the crash site became emblematic of the tragedy."

"It has been brought to our attention that the broken cd of #SlapShot was found at the wreck of the #HumboltStrong team bus," the trio of Jeff Carlson, Steve Carlson and David Hanson wrote on Twitter. "We wish 'putting on the foil or 'buying a soda after the game' could help but instead we will reflect and pray God gives peace and comfort during this time."

"Yes, everyone they meet recites a favorite line from the movie, if not more. And many ask mind-numbing trivia questions -- such as what time was on the clock when the Hansons shot a puck off the organist's head -- that leaves them wondering whether their fans live any sort of normal life."

In popular culture

 * The Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League employ a trio of Hanson lookalikes known as the Mullet Brothers, who sport long black hair and black-rimmed glasses. The "brothers" shovel snow out of the net area during breaks in full uniform and pads.
 * Extreme Championship Wrestling characters The Dudley Brothers were based on the Hanson brothers. Two members of this stable, Bubba Ray & D-Von, would later shed the comedic elements of the gimmick and go on to become the Dudley Boyz tag team.
 * At the June 2011 NHL Awards, the Hanson Brothers appeared in a spoof sketch based on the television series Pawn Stars, in which they try to sell the Stanley Cup to proprietor Rick Harrison at his pawn shop.
 * In 2015 the Hanson Brothers were inducted into the Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame.
 * In addition to the original film, Slap Shot (1977), all three actors reprised their roles as the Hanson Brothers in two sequels, Slap Shot 2 (2002) and Slap Shot 3 (2008).
 * A trio of hockey players all named Jim in Shoresy are based on the Hanson Brothers.