Alan Hangsleben
Encyclopedia
Alan William "Al, Hank" Hangsleben (born February 22, 1953 in Warroad
, Minnesota
) is a retired American
professional ice hockey
defenseman
.
Selected in 1973 by both the Montreal Canadiens
of the National Hockey League
and the New England Whalers
of the World Hockey Association
while still playing for the University of North Dakota
men's ice hockey team, Hangsleben chose to sign a pro contract with the Whalers. Hangsleben made a total of 334 WHA game appearances for the Whalers in 1975–1979. The Canadiens, who still retained his NHL rights, left him exposed for the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft
, and he was claimed by the Hartford Whalers
when they were admitted into the NHL in 1979.
Hangsleben was traded to the Washington Capitals
during the middle of the 1979–80 NHL season in exchange for Tom Rowe
, and played for the Capitals until he was released early into the 1981–82 NHL season. Hangsleben would sign with the Los Angeles Kings
and play for them for the rest of that season. He played two seasons in the American Hockey League
before retiring in 1984.
Hangsleben played for Team USA at the 1973,1974 and 1981 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments. He was also a member of the U.S. team at the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup
tournament.
Warroad, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,722 people, 657 households, and 419 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 766 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.65% White, 0.29% Black or African American, 7.38% Native American,...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional ice hockey
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...
defenseman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
.
Selected in 1973 by both the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
and the New England Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
of the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
while still playing for the University of North Dakota
University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ...
men's ice hockey team, Hangsleben chose to sign a pro contract with the Whalers. Hangsleben made a total of 334 WHA game appearances for the Whalers in 1975–1979. The Canadiens, who still retained his NHL rights, left him exposed for the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft
1979 NHL Expansion Draft
The 1979 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 13, 1979. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's new teams for the 1979–80 season: the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets...
, and he was claimed by the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
when they were admitted into the NHL in 1979.
Hangsleben was traded to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
during the middle of the 1979–80 NHL season in exchange for Tom Rowe
Tom Rowe (hockey)
Thomas John Rowe is a retired American ice hockey player and coach.Selected by the Washington Capitals in the 1976 NHL Entry Draft, Rowe also played for the Hartford Whalers and Detroit Red Wings. He was also a member of the United States national team at the 1977 Ice Hockey World Championships...
, and played for the Capitals until he was released early into the 1981–82 NHL season. Hangsleben would sign with the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and play for them for the rest of that season. He played two seasons in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
before retiring in 1984.
Hangsleben played for Team USA at the 1973,1974 and 1981 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments. He was also a member of the U.S. team at the inaugural 1976 Canada Cup
1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
tournament.