Growing up, Hansen held no serious aspirations of playing in the NHL. That was a dream reserved for others from more traditional hockey countries.

All he knew was that the game had become a passion for his father, Bent -- by trade a carpenter, but also an 18-year pro in Denmark and a member of its national team - and he wanted it to be his livelihood.

Hansen couldn't have dreamed then that years later he would become the first Denmark-born player to get an assist in a Stanley Cup Playoff game, which came on April 15, 2007, against the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the first round.

Hansen spent three seasons shuttling between teams in Denmark and Sweden, so no one so much as raised an eyebrow when the Vancouver Canucks selected Hansen in the ninth round (No. 287) of the 2004 NHL Draft. A year later, Hansen was selected by Portland in the Western Hockey League Import Draft.

In his only year of major junior hockey, Hansen scored 24 goals and 64 points in 64 games, then scored 13 points in 12 playoff games. He turned pro and spent his next two seasons primarily with Manitoba of the American Hockey League. His first full season with the Canucks was 2008-2009, and he scored his first NHL goal Oct. 16, 2008, in a 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings.

Two seasons later, Hansen scored 29 points when the Canucks won the Presidents' Trophy with 117 points. With Hansen scoring three goals and nine points, Vancouver went on a spirited playoff push that carried them to the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins and to within one victory of a championship.

Known for his speed, puck pursuit, forechecking, penalty-killing smarts and the versatility to play either an offensive or checking role, on any of the four lines, the Dane with no serious NHL aspirations has become a mainstay in Vancouver.