Defenceman John Hanna played parts of five NHL seasons with three different clubs in the 50s and 60s. He was best known as a fine playmaker in the minors during a pro career that lasted 18 years.
Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Hanna played junior with the Quebec League's Trois Rivieres Flambeaux. He made his pro debut with the Philadelphia Ramblers of the EHL and also competed in the Quebec Senior loop and the AHL before making it to the big leagues. After a particularly solid showing with the Trois Rivieres Lions 1957-58 he was named to the QHL second all-star team.
Beginning in 1958-59, Hanna played nearly three full years with the New York Rangers. Following the 1960-61 season he lost his place in the line up to Doug Harvey and Albert Langlois. He then spent several years in the AHL, mostly with the Quebec Aces. Hanna dressed for six games with the Montreal Canadiens in 1963-64 but was chiefly a minor leaguer during this period.
Hanna returned to the NHL for 15 games with the expansion Philadelphia Flyers in 1967-68 then settled into a fine career with the Western League's Seattle Totems. He reached the 20-goal mark twice in the Pacific Northwest and was named to the WHL first all-star team twice and second team once. Hanna was also a two-time recipient of the Hal Laycoe Cup as the league's top defenceman and was named the winner of the Leader Cup in 1969 as the league's most valuable player. He skated in the WHA's inaugural season as a member of the Cleveland Crusaders then played a few games for the AHL's Jacksonville Barons in 1973-74 before retiring.
