Jeff Carlson (ice hockey)

For other people with the same name, see Jeff Carlson (disambiguation).

Jeffery Lee Carlson (born July 20, 1953) is a former professional American ice hockey forward.

Jeff Carlson
Born	(1953-07-20) July 20, 1953 (age 72) Virginia, Minnesota, U.S.
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Minnesota Fighting Saints
NHL draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1973–1983

Career

Carlson is best known for his role in the movie Slap Shot as one of the Hanson Brothers. Carlson also played in the World Hockey Association with the Minnesota Fighting Saints. He played nine professional seasons. As of 2025^[update] Carlson is a Chief Executive Officer at MetaVista3D, and a director at Future Tech Now Corporation. ^[1]

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1973–74	Marquette Iron Rangers	USHL		55	25	39	64	170
1974–75	Johnstown Jets	NAHL		64	15	32	47	250
1975–76	Johnstown Jets	NAHL		55	27	20	47	160
1975–76	Minnesota Fighting Saints	WHA		7	0	1	1	14
1976–77	Greensboro Generals	SHL		21	11	1	12	61
1976–77	Hampton Gulls	SHL		1	1	0	1	0
1976–77	Mohawk Valley Comets	NAHL		17	4	7	11	40
1977–78	Phoenix Roadrunners	PHL		41	19	27	46	65
1977–78	Springfield Indians	AHL		4	0	0	0	4
1978–79	Phoenix Roadrunners	PHL		56	13	16	29	156
1979–80	Muskegon Mohawks	IHL		76	26	25	51	187
1980–81	Muskegon Mohawks	IHL		60	12	23	35	153
1980–81	Fort Wayne Komets	IHL		14	3	5	8	12
1981–82	Muskegon Mohawks	IHL		62	16	26	42	124
1982–83	Muskegon Mohawks	IHL		5	0	0	0	0
Major Leagues	WHA career totals (1 seasons)			7	0	1	1	14

^[2]

Background

Jeff Carlson was born in Virginia, Minnesota along with his two brothers Steve and Jack. The brothers first played together on the Marquette Iron Rangers hockey team in Marquette, Michigan. Jeff Carlson also played in the World Hockey Association with the Minnesota Fighting Saints. He too was also known for "dropping the gloves."

Before being signed to the Minnesota Fighting Saints, Jeff and his brothers attended their training camp where all of them were told to gain more playing experience before the Saints would officially sign them. Thus, Jeff and his brothers drove to Marquette, signed, gained experience, and then moved on to play for the Fighting Saints.

Rise to fame

The Hanson Brothers characters from the iconic hockey movie Slap Shot are some of the most memorable figures in sports film history. Jeff, who played "Jeff Hanson" in the film, is described as one within a unit that traveled from place to place for the soul purpose of playing sport and making people happy. Jeff has always has a solid career as a professional hockey player, but during this time of writing, he and his two costars lived in three separate cities. Jeff always came back together with the two so that he could help spread the joy to fans across the world. Even with aging, Jeff and his brothers continued to star in sequels to Slap Shot and carried on the legacy of their characters and the films.