CHL Mississippi RiverKings

Former RiverKings Coach Hits the Airwaves Thursday

Published on May 12, 2010 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


SOUTHAVEN, MS --- The coach of the Memphis RiverKings in the franchise's inuagural season in the Central Hockey League will make an appearance on Sports 56, WHBQ (560 AM) Middays with host Greg Gaston tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon.

Steve Carlson will be interviewed by Gaston during the 12 o'clock hour of the program, heard on the flagship station for RiverKings game broadcasts and the weekly coach's show.

Carlson finished his coaching career in the RiverKings' initial campaign in the Central Hockey League. During his stint with Memphis, he fashioned a 26-27-7 record and took the RiverKings to the playoffs, where they were eliminated in the first round.

Prior to that, the native of Virginia, Minnesota coached the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL for four seasons. In his first year at Johnstown, Carlson's team lost in the championship finals. The Chiefs failed to make the playoffs in his second season and lost in the second round in both of his remaining two years with the club.

Carlson's coaching career started in 1987-88 as an assistant coach with the Baltimore Skipjacks of the American Hockey League, where he finished his playing career in 1987.

Prior to that, Carlson had experience in the "old" CHL at Birmingham, Nashville and Houston, AHL experience in Springfield, played one season with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League, and five years in the old World Hockey Association with Minnesota, New England, and Edmonton. It was with the Oilers that he played with "The Great One," Wayne Gretzky in 1978-79, and he also was rostered with Gordie Howe on the New England Whalers the season before his time in Edmonton.

Carlson was a fifth-round draft choice of Minnesota in 1974 WHA Amateur Draft and an eighth-round selection of the Detroit Red Wings in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft.

Along with his lengthy hockey career, Carlson is known to cult movie buffs as one of the "Hanson" brothers in the movies "Slapshot " and "Slapshot 2." The 1977 "Slapshot" movie starring Paul Newman centered on the Charlestown Chiefs, a minor league hockey team that was in its last season before folding.

The Chiefs battled their way to the championship behind Newman, as player-coach Reg Dunlop, and the team became heroes for the residents of an old manufacturing town about to lose their hockey team.

Carlson portrayed Steve Hanson, one of the three brawling brothers brought in to stir the pot for the Chiefs.

Season tickets are now on sale for the 19th season of RiverKings hockey in the Mid-South. For more information, call 662-342-1755 or go online to www.riverkings.com today!

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