This is an I-Heart podcast.

This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories.

Decades after it was released in 1977, the movie Slapshot

holds up as one of the true classics of American sports film. It's comical depiction of a minor

league hockey team resorting to violent play to gain popularity in a declining factory town

still resonates with audiences around the world.

Much of the film's success has to do with Paul Newman's performance as an aging player coach,

but the movie might never have achieved its iconic status without the bespeckled, brawling characters known

as the Hanson brothers,

played by former Johnston Jets players, Steve and Jeff Carlson, and David Hanson.

Dave Hanson grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he eventually starred in football,

baseball, and hockey at Humboldt High School.

He played for the University of Minnesota under legendary coach Herb Brooks, and of course that's hockey. Hansen then played for the Detroit Red Wings

and Minnesota North Stars in the National Hockey League. The following excerpts are from a video

interview with Dave Hansen by Paul Guggenheimer. It was recorded in Pittsburgh and is provided courtesy of primal interviews with Paul Guggenheimer.

Let's go to Dave Hansen.

What I tell people is the movie is based on more fact and fiction.

It was based on a team that I was playing for in Johnstown, Pennsylvania,

called the Johnstown Jets in 1974 or 75. And pretty much everything that goes on in the movie

happened in one form or fashion. There was three brothers playing for us. There were big,

tough, war glasses named Jeff Jack and Steve Carlson. There was a fellow in a team that was called

Dave Killer Hansen, I.E. Me. Dave was here. Dave's the killer. He's a killer. He's a

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