John and Hannah Halverson. Photos: Kevin White Photography
Hannah and John Halverson celebrate dual wins for the Edina High School girls’ and boys’ hockey teams.
Hockey runs in the Halversons’ blood. “Our family’s connection to hockey basically starts with [our] grandpa,” says John Halverson, 18, a senior at Edina High School (EHS). “He grew up and played for the Breck High School hockey team, so he started in Minnesota and then played for the Gophers.”
All the more fitting, then, that the 2024 Boy’s State Championship game between EHS and Chanhassen High School had another connection to the Halverson family: broadcaster Lou Nanne. “Lou is one of my grandpa’s best buddies, and we’re really good family friends with them,” John says.
Nanne is a hockey legend in Minnesota, playing first for the Minnesota Gophers in college before joining the Minnesota North Stars in 1968. In addition to an illustrious professional hockey career, Nanne has been broadcasting the Minnesota Boys State Hockey Tournament since 1964, and March 9, 2024, marked his final game. “It was pretty special to see him walk out on the ice, and they did a ceremony for him before puck drop,” John says.
Watching from the stands was John’s fraternal twin sister, Hannah, 18, also a senior. “I thought it was almost more nerve-wracking on the other end,” she says. The EHS girls’ team had won its state championship game on February 24. “Just being in the stands and knowing that if he won, we both would have won—which was the dream for us. Especially that final game, I literally lost my voice.”
Hannah Halverson holds the 2024 Girls’ State Championship trophy. Photo: JJ Halverson
And win they did, ending the Halversons’ careers as EHS Hornets on an indelible high note.
The Edina Hornets boys’ team celebrates its win at the 2024 Boy’s State Championship game. Photo: JJ Halverson
Twin Takes
Edina Magazine: Has sibling rivalry factored into your playing?
Hannah (H): From my side, it’s definitely made me a lot better. There’s something about playing [against] your brother—you just want to beat him, and I know he doesn’t want to lose to me, so we’ve definitely made each other better. He’s also helped me in a ton of ways, like with learning how to do a certain shot or anything like that. It definitely made us better.
John (J): I would say when we were younger, it was a lot worse. We were a lot more competitive with each other. But as we grew up, we settled that. There is a sense of competition still, but we want the best for each other. But if someone wins, if she wins, I want to win, too. There’s still a little of that throughout high school, but it’s all good. We make each other better.
Hannah, how would you describe John as a hockey player?
H: I would say he’s a super fast player but also sees the ice really well. He’s a very good playmaker, and he always is good at finding his players and being unselfish. He’s also a big grinder. Something I’ve always looked up to is his work ethic. He’s a really hard worker and cares about the game a lot.
And John, how would you describe Hannah as a hockey player?
J: She’s very skilled. I think she’s more skilled than anybody on the ice—from what I watched—on any team. She’s got a really, really good shot. It’s almost like she’s bored out there sometimes because I feel like she’s better than most. She’s very skilled. I’m excited to see her in college.
The Halverson twins both sport the number 10.
Next Up
The Halversons are by no means hanging up their skates after successfully sweeping State.
Next up for Hannah is the red and white jersey of the University of Wisconsin Badgers. “It’s always been my dream school since I’ve been a little girl,” she says. “My head coach [during] my U12 year, his daughter was the captain of that team. We would always have a tournament in Wisconsin, and we got to see the locker room and meet the players.”
Hannah says the enthusiasm of Wisconsin hockey fans left a deep impression on her. “And seeing how much they supported girls hockey at that time and seeing how much they’ve grown was just a really big experience.” The University of Wisconsin was always at the top of her list. “And getting the opportunity to play there, I couldn’t pass that one up, so I’m super excited to play.”
John has just wrapped up a stint on North American Hockey League team Northeast Generals out of Adderborough, Massachusetts. “I played there this spring,” he says. “It was a great spot. I loved it. For junior hockey, there are so many different leagues and teams. You never know what’s going to happen, but my plan is to return there next year for sure.”
Do either of you have aspirations for turning pro?
H: Yeah, for sure. What they’re doing with the Professional Women’s Hockey League, that would be a really cool experience to play a couple of years and get to be a part of that program.
J: I would love to. It’d be a dream come true. [I hope to play on a college team] first and then [see] what happens after that. I think it’d be pretty cool to sign up for a contract with them.
