4 Decades Of The Hanson Brothers: 'Slap Shot' Turns 40

Everyone's favorite hockey movie turns 40 in 2017. We take a look at Utica's infamous connection with Slap Shot.

Fans familiar with the movie know that a handful of scenes were filmed right here in Utica at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. But did you know that one of the more famous scenes was actually inspired by an altercation between the Johnstown Jets(Charlestown Chiefs) and the Mohawk Valley Comets(Peterbourough in the film).

The scene where Jeff Hanson is hit in the face with a fan's keys and the Hanson brothers go into the crowd and start a fight was actually based on an actual event that happened in Utica between the Johnstown Jets and the Mohawk Valley Comets.

Although in real-life it was just a cup of ice.

Here's an excerpt from Dave Hanson's (who played Jack Hanson) 2013 interview with the Utica Observer-Dispatch:

Jeff, Jack, and Steve Carlson, all Jets teammates of Hanson’s, were taken into custody to the Utica Police Station, across the street from the Aud. Dave Hanson was marched from the Aud to the police station at 412 Oriskany Street, West, along with the Carlson trio, but later released. Although the Carlsons were arrested, Hanson was let go because he believes the police mistook him for teammate Guido Tenesi ( Billy Charlebois in Slap Shot). They ( Utica PD ) walked us across the street to the station in our hockey gear. We all chipped in to pay their bail, so we could get back on the bus, and leave after the game“, Hanson remembers.

Read the full interview at UticaOD.com.

Here's that scene:

Warning NSFW language

Conflicting reports say this scene was filmed in Utica or the War Memorial in Syracuse, but that's ok because there's more.

Scenes that definitely were filmed at the Utica Aud include the pre-game fight against the Patriots and the following scene where the ref starts jawing at one the Hanson brothers. That's when he utters the famous reply, "I'm listening to the ------- song!"