Al Hackner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Al Hackner
Curler
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Born	(1954-07-18) July 18, 1954 (age 70) Nipigon, Ontario
Team
Curling club	Fort William CC Thunder Bay, ON
Skip	Al Hackner
Third	Joe Scharf
Second	Jamie Childs
Lead	Gary Champagne
Career
Member Association	Alberta (1976–1977)  Northern Ontario (1979–present)
Brier appearances	9 (1980, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1995, 2001)
World Championship appearances	2 (1982, 1985)
Medal record Representing  Canada Men's Curling World Championships Gold 1982 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Team Gold 1985 Glasgow Team World Senior Championships Silver 2007 Edmonton Team Representing  Northern Ontario Labatt Brier Gold 1982 Brandon Team Gold 1985 Moncton Team Silver 1980 Calgary Team Silver 1981 Halifax Team

Al Hackner, born on July 18, 1954, is a famous Canadian curler. People often call him "the Iceman." He was born in Nipigon, Ontario, and grew up to become a Hall of Fame curler from Thunder Bay.

Al Hackner is known for winning two major curling titles: the Brier and the World Championship. He is also a member of the Red Rock Indian Band, which means he is of Ojibwa descent.

Curling Career Highlights

Al Hackner has led the Northern Ontario curling team in nine Brier championships. He won the Brier twice, first in 1982 and then again in 1985.

Winning the 1982 Brier

In 1982, Al Hackner's team played against Brent Giles from British Columbia. Hackner's team won this exciting game, earning him his first Brier title.

The Famous 1985 Brier Win

In 1985, Hackner's team faced Pat Ryan of Alberta in the Brier final. The game was very close. In the last part of the game, called the 10th end, Hackner had to make a very difficult shot.

The "Hackner Double" is one of the hardest shots in curling. Al Hackner made this shot in the 1985 Brier final to tie the game. His team then won in an extra end.

He needed to hit two stones that were far apart, while also getting around another stone. This amazing shot became known as the "Al Hackner double." It is considered one of the hardest shots ever made in curling. After this shot, the game went into an extra end, where Hackner's team scored one point and won the championship! The Northern Ontario Curling Association called this shot the greatest moment in their curling history.

Other Curling Achievements

Besides his Brier wins, Al Hackner also played for Alberta in the 1977 Canadian Mixed Curling Championship. He played as the second player on that team.

In 2004, Al Hackner was honored for his achievements. He was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

Hackner continued to play curling as he got older. He won the 2006 Canadian Senior Curling Championships. The next year, in 2007, he won a silver medal at the World Senior Curling Championships.

In 2013, Hackner said he would stop playing in provincial championships. However, he returned to the game. In 2015, his team reached the provincial final but lost to Brad Jacobs.

Hackner also led Northern Ontario to win the Canadian Masters Curling Championships in 2017. He won this event again in 2022.

Coaching Career

From 2012 to 2014, Al Hackner was part of the coaching staff for the Team USA women's curling team. He returned to coach the team in 2017. He helped lead them to the 2018 Winter Olympics, where they finished in eighth place.

Retirement from Competitive Play

After the 2022 Canadian Senior Curling Championships, Al Hackner announced that he was retiring from competitive curling. This means he stopped playing in major tournaments.

Personal Life

Al Hackner worked as a transportation conductor for CN Rail before he retired. He is married and has one son.