Christian Hanson Class: Junior Hometown: Venetia, PA High School: Peters Township Height / Weight: 6-4 / 225 Position: Center Birthdate: 03/10/1986 Last Team: Tri-City Storm (USHL)

Two-time monogram winner for the Irish ... will look to have a breakout season in 2007-08 ... solid two-way forward who had a strong sophomore year ... will look to add more offense to his game ... Notre Dame's top face-off man heading into the season ... skilled, play-making center ... uses size and reach to disrupt opponents in the defensive zone ... continues to develop all-around game ... played in 33 games last season, scoring six goals with two assists ... selected to the all-tournament team and was tournament MVP at the Lightning College Hockey Classic ... has played in 56 career games with seven goals and four assists for 11 points ... played two seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Tri-City Storm ... was a teammate of current Irish players Brian D'Arcy, Luke Lucyk and Mark Van Guilder ... one of six former Storm alums on the roster along with D'Arcy, Lucyk, Van Guilder, sophomore Kyle Lawson and freshman Calle Ridderwall ... one of 20 former USHL players at Notre Dame ... won the USHL's 2005 Curt Hammer Award which is presented annually to the league's "most gentlemanly player who embodies what the USHL stands for on and off the ice" ... fourth Irish hockey player to receive Hammer Award, joining Cory McLean'05, Aaron Gill `04 and Mark Eaton who now plays for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins ... signed national letter-of-intent in early-signing period (Nov. `04) along with Erik Condra, Jordan Pearce, Kevin Deeth, Kyle Lawson and Ryan Thang ... one of three Western Pennsylvania natives on the roster along with sophomores Stewart Carlin (Jeannette) and Christiaan Minella (Canonsburg) ... one of eight players from Pittsburgh area to play hockey at Notre Dame, joining Carlin, Minella, Mike Leherr (`86-90), Tom Mooney (`84-'88), Tom Myers (`68-'69), Tom Parent (`84-'85) and John Roselli (`68-'71) ... member of Notre Dame's Academic Honors Program.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Saw action in 33 games for the Irish, scoring six goals with two assists for eight points ... had one power-play goal and one game winner ... recorded 12 penalties for 24 penalty minutes ... took 58 shots on goal ... was +8 for the season ... led all regular centers by winning 59.1% of face offs (267 of 452) ... missed eight straight games from Jan. 19 through Feb. 10 with mononucleosis ... scored goals in three straight games from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3 ... first goal of the year gave Irish a 2-0 lead versus Army in opening game of Lightning College Hockey Classic ... gave Notre Dame a 1-0 lead at 3:21 of second period versus Air Force for eventual game-winning goal in 2-0 win over Air Force ... was selected to the Lightning College Hockey Classic all-tournament team and was tournament most valuable player ... continued goal streak with second goal of the game in 4-2 win at Ohio State on Nov. 3 ... went 10 games without a point before scoring fourth goal of the season in 7-3 win at Michigan ... picked up first two-point game of career in 4-3 win over Northern Michigan on Dec. 30 at Ft. Wayne ... third-period power-play goal snapped 2-2 tie ... had one assist in 4-2 home loss to Robert Morris ... returned to the lineup after missing eight games with mononucleosis at Alaska on Feb. 16 ... scored final goal of the season in CCHA semifinal game, an empty-net goal to lock up 3-0 win over Lake Superior State ... had one goal in six postseason games.

AS A FRESHMAN: Played in 23 games with one goal and two asssists ... recorded 7 penalties for 14 minutes ... had 20 shots on goal and was -2 on the season ... scored first collegiate goal in 9-4 win over Bowling Green on Nov. 10 ... had first assist of the year on Jan. 20 in 5-2 loss at Northern Michigan ... had one point in two CCHA playoff games when he set up Dan VeNard's first-period goal in 3-1 loss to Alaska Fairbanks.

PREP & PERSONAL: Graduated from Peters Township High School in McMurray, Pa. ... also attended Kearney High School in Kearney, Neb., while playing for the Tri-City Storm ... as a freshman at Peters Township, helped lead Indians to 2002 Pennsylvania State title ... had four goals and three assists in championship game ... played five years with the Pittsburgh Hornets before joining Tri-City .... was a high school and junior teammate of freshman Christiaan Minella at Peters Township and with the Hornets ... played two seasons in Tri-City ... served as an assistant captain in `04-'05 and led the Storm in scoring with 19 goals and 33 assists for 52 points to tie for 16th in USHL scoring race ... in helping Storm to fourth-place in the USHL's Western Division with a 33-21-6 record ... full name is Christian David Hanson ... son of Dave and Suzanne Hanson ... has two sisters ... his father, Dave, played 10 years of pro hockey, including stints with the Detroit Red Wings, the Minnesota North Stars and the WHA's Minnesota Fighting Saints ... father is best known for his role in the movie, Slapshot, as one of the famed Hanson Brothers ... becomes the sixth Notre Dame hockey player whose father played in the NHL ... born March 10, 1986, in Glens Falls, N.Y. ...finance major in the Mendoza College of Business.

Hanson's Career Statistics