Glen Hanlon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glen Hanlon |
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Glen Hanlon in 2008
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| Born | February 20, 1957 Brandon, Manitoba, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Right | ||
| Played for | Vancouver Canucks St. Louis Blues New York Rangers Detroit Red Wings |
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| NHL Draft | 40th overall, 1977 Vancouver Canucks |
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| WHA Draft | 30th overall, 1977 Houston Aeros |
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| Playing career | 1977–1991 | ||
Glen A. Hanlon, born on February 20, 1957, is a Canadian ice hockey expert. He has been a coach, a team leader, and a professional goaltender in the past.
Hanlon played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several famous teams. These included the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, and Detroit Red Wings. After his playing days, he became a coach. He coached NHL teams like the Washington Capitals. He also coached national teams for countries like Slovakia, Belarus, and Switzerland.
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Glen Hanlon's Playing Days
Glen Hanlon started his professional hockey journey when he was picked by the Vancouver Canucks. This happened in the 1977 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 40th player chosen overall.
He played for many different leagues during his career. Besides the NHL, he played in the Western Hockey League (WCHL) and the Central Professional Hockey League (CHL).
In 1978, he won a special award called the Ken McKenzie Trophy. This award is given to the best new player in the Central Hockey League.
A famous moment in his playing career happened on October 14, 1979. Glen Hanlon was the goalie who allowed the very first NHL goal scored by Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky later became the highest-scoring player in NHL history. Hanlon often joked about it, saying he "created a monster!"
Glen Hanlon's Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Glen Hanlon became a hockey coach. He started as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks and the Washington Capitals.
Coaching the Washington Capitals
Hanlon became the head coach of the Washington Capitals in the middle of the 2003–04 season. The team was not doing well, and he took over to try and improve things.
In the 2005–06 season, the Capitals had a young team. They had a new star player named Alexander Ovechkin. Even though the team was still growing, Hanlon helped them improve.
He also coached the Belarusian national ice hockey team during this time. He led them to a very high sixth-place finish at the 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. This was a historic achievement for Belarus. Because of this success, he was named "sports man of the year" by a major Belarusian sports newspaper.
In the 2007–08 season, the Capitals started with high hopes. They had signed many talented players. However, after a tough start to the season, Hanlon was replaced as head coach. The team then started winning more games and even won their division title that season. After leaving the head coach role, Hanlon worked as a scout for the Capitals.
Coaching in Europe and Other Roles
After his time with the Capitals, Glen Hanlon continued coaching. In 2008, he became the head coach of a Finnish team called Jokerit.
In 2010, he was named the head coach of the Slovak national ice hockey team. He coached them in the World Championship in Germany. His contract with Slovakia ended in 2011.
From 2011 to 2013, Hanlon was an assistant coach for the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League.
In 2013, he returned to coach the Belarusian national ice hockey team again. Then, in 2014, he signed a contract to coach the Switzerland men's national ice hockey team. He left this role in 2015 due to family reasons.
In 2016, Glen Hanlon took on a new role. He became the general manager for the Vancouver Giants, the same team he had coached as an assistant earlier. He stayed with them until 2018.
Later, in 2018, he became the coach of a Hungarian team called DVTK Jegesmedvék. In 2020, he moved to Germany to coach the Krefeld Pinguine.
Awards and Achievements
Glen Hanlon received several awards and honors during his career:
- He was named to the WCHL First All-Star Team twice (1976 & 1977).
- He was recognized as the WCHL Goaltender of the Year in 1977.
- He won the CHL Rookie of the Year award in 1978.
- He was also part of the CHL First All-Star Team in 1978.
- He is an honored member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
