Rich Hansen
Encyclopedia
Richard Hansen is an American professional ice hockey
player currently playing for the Rapid City Rush
of the Central Hockey League
(CHL). Hansen is a second generation professional hockey player, following in the footsteps of his father Richie Hansen
, who spent time with the St. Louis Blues and became the first Long Island
native to suit up for the New York Islanders
.
and Eric Nystrom
and playing Tier III junior A hockey with the local New York Apple Core of the Eastern Junior Hockey League
. He has since been voted into the Apple Core Hall of Fame.
Hansen spent the 1998-99 season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the Tier I Junior A USHL. Hansen scored no goals and collected a meager 9 assists in 32 games to finish up his one and only season in the USHL. For the 1999-2000 season Hansen signed with the Texas Tornado
of the North American Hockey League
. In two seasons with the Tornado he collected 123 points over 110 games.
(Atlantic Hockey
), he went on to play in almost 150 games in four seasons with the Lakers from 2001 until 2005.
of the United Hockey League
Hansen scored his first professional goal in four games with the Fury, the failed to make the playoffs that year. The 2005-2006 season saw Hansen's return to Texas
, singing with the Amarillo Gorillas
of the Central Hockey League
. Since then he has played with the Port Huron Icehawks
of the International Hockey League, Rögle BK
of HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden
, and most recently with the Rapid City Rush
of the Central Hockey League
.
in June 2010 and is an avid dog
lover.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player currently playing for the Rapid City Rush
Rapid City Rush
The Rapid City Rush is an ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League. It plays in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The Rapid City Rush organization quickly became the premiere franschise in the CHL.-History:...
of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
(CHL). Hansen is a second generation professional hockey player, following in the footsteps of his father Richie Hansen
Richie Hansen
Richard John Hansen is a retired professional ice hockey player who played 14 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues....
, who spent time with the St. Louis Blues and became the first Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
native to suit up for the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Junior hockey
Rich Hansen's hockey career started modestly in the Long Island area playing minor hockey with the likes of Ryan VesceRyan Vesce
Ryan Vesce is a professional ice hockey right winger. He currently plays for the Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL. Undrafted, Vesce played hockey in college, then played professionally for leagues in North America and Europe....
and Eric Nystrom
Eric Nystrom
Eric Nystrom is an American ice hockey left winger for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . He was a first round selection by the Flames, 10th overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. In addition to the Flames, Nystrom was a member of the Minnesota Wild before joining the Stars...
and playing Tier III junior A hockey with the local New York Apple Core of the Eastern Junior Hockey League
Eastern Junior Hockey League
The Eastern Junior Hockey League is an American Tier III Junior A ice hockey league. Founded in 1993 by Dan Esdale, the EJHL has fourteen teams from across the Northeastern United States. The EJHL is a member of USA Hockey, and the EJHL champion goes on to play for the National Championship...
. He has since been voted into the Apple Core Hall of Fame.
Hansen spent the 1998-99 season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the Tier I Junior A USHL. Hansen scored no goals and collected a meager 9 assists in 32 games to finish up his one and only season in the USHL. For the 1999-2000 season Hansen signed with the Texas Tornado
Texas Tornado
The Texas Tornado are a Junior A hockey team located in Frisco, Texas, USA. The team joined the North American Hockey League's Central division in 1999 while located in North Richland Hills, Texas, and have enjoyed unprecedented success since their expansion year...
of the North American Hockey League
North American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...
. In two seasons with the Tornado he collected 123 points over 110 games.
College career
Hansen was recruited by and signed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Mercyhurst CollegeMercyhurst College
Mercyhurst College is a Catholic liberal arts college in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA.-History:On September 20, 1926, Mercyhurst College opened its doors just a few blocks away from the city's southern boundary. It was founded by the Sisters of Mercy of the Erie Diocese, who were led by Mother M. Borgia...
(Atlantic Hockey
Atlantic Hockey
The Atlantic Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates primarily in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey–only conference. Unlike several other college athletic conferences, Atlantic Hockey has no women's...
), he went on to play in almost 150 games in four seasons with the Lakers from 2001 until 2005.
Professional hockey
Following his senior year with the Mercyhurst Lakers in 2005, Hansen signed with the Muskegon FuryMuskegon Fury
The Muskegon Fury was a International Hockey League ice hockey team located in Muskegon, Michigan.The Fury were established in 1992 after the original Muskegon Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League's previous incarnation relocated to Cleveland, Ohio...
of the United Hockey League
United Hockey League
The United Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States...
Hansen scored his first professional goal in four games with the Fury, the failed to make the playoffs that year. The 2005-2006 season saw Hansen's return to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, singing with the Amarillo Gorillas
Amarillo Gorillas
The Amarillo Gorillas were a minor league hockey team based in Amarillo, Texas. The team was affiliated with the Central Hockey League. The Gorillas began play in the Western Professional Hockey League in 1996 as the Rattlers, the name they would carry until an ownership change in 2002...
of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
. Since then he has played with the Port Huron Icehawks
Port Huron Icehawks
The Port Huron Icehawks were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in Port Huron, Michigan. They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at McMorran Arena. The franchise was announced on June 20, 2007 as part of the new IHL. The Icehawks are owned by...
of the International Hockey League, Rögle BK
Rögle BK
Rögle Bandyklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club. They currently play in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest league in Sweden. The team has previously played four seasons in Elitserien between 1992–93 and 1995–96 and between 2008–09 and 2009–10....
of HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and most recently with the Rapid City Rush
Rapid City Rush
The Rapid City Rush is an ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League. It plays in Rapid City, South Dakota, USA at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. The Rapid City Rush organization quickly became the premiere franschise in the CHL.-History:...
of the Central Hockey League
Central Hockey League
The Central Hockey League is a mid-level professional hockey league, owned by Global Entertainment Corporation. Its current champions are the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, which defeated the Colorado Eagles four games to three in the 2011 playoffs....
.
Personal life
Hansen is set to marry former Mercyhurst alum Courtney Smolko of Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in June 2010 and is an avid dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
lover.