Hansen, Basil

BORN IN MELBOURNE OCTOBER 7TH 1926, he first played hockey in 1946 at the St Moritz rink in Melbourne for Southern Suburbs, one of four new VIHA teams formed after the war. In 1956 Ice Hockey Guide described Hansen as a quiet achiever, not a flashy or "name" player; a capable, last-ditch fighter who placed the team ahead of personal gain. "One of the less spectacular, in fact one of the most unobtrusive men in our game," says an old Ice Hockey Guide in 1956. "But there is no doubt of his capacity either as a player or a last ditch fighter. He developed both these attributes to the highest degree."

He was an old-style clubman, a one-team man with Southern Suburbs, the club that became Monarchs. In the early years, his club was runner-up in the Victorian league more often than they cared to remember. He played about 250 games, and all except 7 were with the Monarchs. He was a member of the Monarchs 1948 championship side and in 1950 he was selected to play for Victoria on the left wing with Keith Jose. Victoria lost that Goodall Cup but Hansen returned to the line-up in 1954 when Victoria won.

He became captain of Monarchs in 1953 and was captain when they won the 1959 and 1961 VIHA premierships. He remained there until 1963, then became coach of the seniors for two seasons, 1964 and 1965. He played defense in the first Australian Olympic Team in 1960 at Squaw Valley, forming a life-long friendship with fellow Olympian, Rus Jones. Both played for Victoria in 2009 at the age of 83 in the Rematch of the Century at Oakleigh, a celebration of the centenary of ice hockey in Victoria.

He and his 12 year-old son nicknamed Spider later joined Ringwood Juniors. He coached and his son went on to play for the Raiders and the Pirates. A long time organizer of the Oldtimers league in Melbourne since 1973, he played in the very first IHV Oldtimers game in 1974 for the Melbourne Nite Owls and the Pacemakers 45 team in 2008 in his mid-70s. The Hansen Cup is awarded to the Winning Team 35+ Group I in the Oldtimers league.

The Premier Reserve League Champions trophy in the Victorian league was named in his honour between 2008 and 2013 (now the JP Oliphant Trophy) and the Best Defenceman in the Premier A grade is also named in his honour. He became a Life Member of the Monarchs in 1956, his state association in 1999, and the national association in 2000. He won the national association's Hudson Trophy (Sportsman of the Year) in 2012. He was the Patron of Ice Hockey Victoria from 2013 until his death on January 2nd 2015, aged 88.