John Hanna (ice hockey)
John Isaac "Junior" Hanna was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach. Hanna is considered to be the first player in the National Hockey League of Lebanese descent.
Hanna was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia. He played junior hockey for the Trois-Rivières Aigles and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens before signing a professional contract. He played 198 games in the NHL with the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers. He also played 66 games in the World Hockey Association with the Cleveland Crusaders. However, the majority of his career was spent in the minors with the Quebec Aces of the American Hockey League and the Seattle Totems of the Western Hockey League.
After retiring from competitive play, he was hired for several brief coaching stints in the AHL. He also served as head coach of the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association for part of the 1974-74 season.
Hanna died of cancer on November 20, 2005.
