Ken Laufman (left) and Hans Andersson-Tvilling (right)
Hans “Hasse” Andersson-Tvilling and Ken Laufman, connected by the 1956 Olympics, have passed away within days of each other. The Canadian Laufman died on 14 September and the Swede Andersson-Tvilling on 17 September.
The two had very different careers in different leagues and countries, but on 3 February 1956 they shared the same sheet of ice at the Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Canada beating Tre Kronor, 6-2. Neither player factored in the scoring, but Canada went on to win the bronze medal while Sweden finished in fourth.
Hans and his twin brother Stig were so famous in Sweden that they changed their names from Andersson to Tvilling (Tvilling is Swedish for twin). Throughout their careers, the famous pair were often referred to as simply Hasse and Stig Tvilling. Hans passed away on Thursday at age 98. Stig had predeceased him in 1989.
Laufman, who represented Canada at both the 1956 and ’60 Olympics, was 94. He was a longtime member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen in senior hockey in Canada.
The Andersson-Tvilling twins had identical records in IIHF play. They both played at two Olympics (1952, 1956) and four World Championships (1951, 1953, 1954, 1955), most famously in 1953 when they won the gold medal on home ice after winning all four games in the shortened WM. They also won silver in 1951 and bronze in '54.
At the domestic level, Hasse was a star for Djurgarden, winning four championships in hockey (1950, 1954, 1955, 1958) and one in football. Stig’s career was identical. In 1955, the twins made history, winning a title in both sports in the same year. They are two of only five men to represent Sweden in both ice hockey and football. Indeed, Hasse played in 152 Allsvenskan games in addition to more than a decade in the top Swedish hockey league. He was inducted into the Djurgarden Hall of Fame in 2021.
"Our thoughts are with Hasse's family, and we will always remember him as one of the greatest," Djurgarden announced via social media.
Laufman followed his bronze in 1956 with a silver in 1960 in Squaw Valley. A defensive-minded forward, he scored one goal at the Olympics, on 27 January 1956, during a 23-0 drubbing of Austria. He won the Allan Cup in 1955 with the Dutchmen and retired in 1964 after several years of senior hockey in various amateur leagues.
The two had very different careers in different leagues and countries, but on 3 February 1956 they shared the same sheet of ice at the Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Canada beating Tre Kronor, 6-2. Neither player factored in the scoring, but Canada went on to win the bronze medal while Sweden finished in fourth.
Hans and his twin brother Stig were so famous in Sweden that they changed their names from Andersson to Tvilling (Tvilling is Swedish for twin). Throughout their careers, the famous pair were often referred to as simply Hasse and Stig Tvilling. Hans passed away on Thursday at age 98. Stig had predeceased him in 1989.
Laufman, who represented Canada at both the 1956 and ’60 Olympics, was 94. He was a longtime member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen in senior hockey in Canada.
The Andersson-Tvilling twins had identical records in IIHF play. They both played at two Olympics (1952, 1956) and four World Championships (1951, 1953, 1954, 1955), most famously in 1953 when they won the gold medal on home ice after winning all four games in the shortened WM. They also won silver in 1951 and bronze in '54.
At the domestic level, Hasse was a star for Djurgarden, winning four championships in hockey (1950, 1954, 1955, 1958) and one in football. Stig’s career was identical. In 1955, the twins made history, winning a title in both sports in the same year. They are two of only five men to represent Sweden in both ice hockey and football. Indeed, Hasse played in 152 Allsvenskan games in addition to more than a decade in the top Swedish hockey league. He was inducted into the Djurgarden Hall of Fame in 2021.
"Our thoughts are with Hasse's family, and we will always remember him as one of the greatest," Djurgarden announced via social media.
Laufman followed his bronze in 1956 with a silver in 1960 in Squaw Valley. A defensive-minded forward, he scored one goal at the Olympics, on 27 January 1956, during a 23-0 drubbing of Austria. He won the Allan Cup in 1955 with the Dutchmen and retired in 1964 after several years of senior hockey in various amateur leagues.