Europe and junior Hansen developed with the
Rødovre Mighty Bulls of the Danish
Oddset League, joined the senior team at age 16. He played in Rødovre for a season-and-a-half, then was invited to play for the Swedish
Malmö Redhawks's under-18 team in 2002–03. Hansen played the remainder of the season in Malmö, then returned to Rødovre the following season. After recording 19 points over 35 games in 2003–04 with Rødovre, Hansen was selected by the
Vancouver Canucks, 287th overall, in the
2004 NHL entry draft. Despite his success the previous season, his selection was delayed to the latter stages of the draft due to his small stature and a traditional lack of NHL players coming out of Denmark. Hansen moved to North America and joined the club for the
2005–06 season. Hansen's proficiency in English played a part in Winter Hawks general manager Ken Hodge selecting him. He continued his scoring pace in the playoffs with 13 points in 12 games as Portland was eliminated in the second round.
Vancouver Canucks In July 2006, Hansen signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the
Vancouver Canucks. Playing the
2006–07 season with the Canucks' minor league affiliate, the
Manitoba Moose of the
American Hockey League (AHL), he scored 12 goals and 34 points over 72 games, leading all team rookies in scoring. During the
2007 Stanley Cup playoffs, Hansen was called up by the Canucks. The point was scored in Game 3 of the first round against the
Dallas Stars by assisting on a goal by
Jan Bulis. The Canucks advanced past the Stars in seven games to meet the
Anaheim Ducks in the second round. In Game 5 of the series, with the Canucks facing elimination in
overtime, Hansen played an instrumental part on the ice when the Ducks scored. Attempting to carry the puck out of the defensive zone, he was hit to the ice by Ducks forward
Rob Niedermayer. While Canucks goaltender
Roberto Luongo had his arm up in the direction of the referee, protesting the lack of penalty, the puck came loose to Ducks defenceman
Scott Niedermayer, who scored past the distracted Luongo. Following the Canucks' elimination, Hansen was sent back to the Moose for their
2007 Calder Cup playoffs. In NHL play, he was pointless in five games. defenceman
Jack Johnson along the boards in April 2010 in the first round of the
2010 Stanley Cup playoffs Hansen played his first full season with the Canucks in
2008–09, making the roster out training camp and establishing himself as a
third-line forward. He became known as a player for his speed and work ethic, lending to his effectiveness in puck-pursuit and forechecking. Hansen has recalled the transition to the NHL requiring a change in his style of play to incorporate more physicality and abrasiveness. Prior to making the NHL, he relied more on skill and finesse, having been a go-to offensive player for teams up to that point. He scored his first NHL goal two games later against goaltender
Chris Osgood in a 4–3 win against the
Detroit Red Wings. Midway through the season, Hansen was briefly sent back to Manitoba for the Canucks to make room on the roster for the recently acquired
Mats Sundin. He was, however, recalled within three days. In late-February, he broke his finger and was sidelined for 14 games. In the off-season, he became a
restricted free agent before re-signing with the Canucks to a one-year, two-way contract worth a reported
US$550,000. in April 2011 in the second round of the
2011 Stanley Cup playoffs The following 2009 pre-season, Hansen injured his hand during a fight against
Edmonton Oilers forward
Gilbert Brulé, He returned to the lineup in mid-November 2008 after missing 19 games. Becoming a restricted free agent for the second consecutive summer, Hansen was taken to
salary arbitration by the Canucks. Following his hearing on 20 July 2010, he was awarded a one-year, one-way deal worth $850,000, which the Canucks agreed to. Recording career-highs of 9 goals, 20 assists and 29 points over 82 games in
2010–11, Hansen received the Canucks'
Fred J. Hume Award as the team's "unsung hero" (voted by the Canucks'
booster club). He added three goals and nine points over 25 games in the
2011 playoffs as the Canucks advanced to the
Stanley Cup Finals, where they were defeated in seven games by the
Boston Bruins. In the off-season, Hansen filed for salary arbitration. Prior to his hearing, Hansen and the Canucks avoided arbitration by agreeing to a three-year, $4.05 million contract. Many in the media, including those from the local
Province newspaper, suggested that he ceded to the Canucks' negotiations, to which Hansen responded, "If you want to be in a position to win, you have to make some sacrifices." In the first month of the
2011–12 season, Hansen was hit from behind by defenceman
Shea Weber in a game against the
Nashville Predators on 20 October 2011. While he was uninjured on the play, Weber was fined $2,500 — the maximum allowable financial penalty — by the League the following day. The following month, Hansen earned a brief stint playing on the Canucks' first line with
Daniel and
Henrik Sedin, replacing
Alexandre Burrows. He continued to play the majority of the campaign on the Canucks' checking line and finished with 16 goals and 39 points over 82 games. Although Vancouver won their second consecutive
Presidents' Trophy in 2011–12, they lost in the first round of the
playoffs to the
Los Angeles Kings. Hansen had one goal in the five-game series. Hansen earned praise from local and league-wide media amidst a strong start to the
lockout-shortened
2012–13 season. On 19 February 2013, Hansen was given a one game suspension after a hit he laid on
Marian Hossa in a 4–3 SO loss in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. He finished the campaign scoring at the most prolific rate of his career, with 10 goals and 27 points over 47 games, ranking third in team scoring behind Daniel and Henrik Sedin. Playing the
San Jose Sharks in the first round of the
2013 playoffs, Hansen failed to record a point in four games as the Canucks were swept. On 29 September 2013, Hansen signed a four-year deal with the Canucks. On 23 November 2014, Hansen recorded his first career
hat-trick in a 4–1 victory over the
Chicago Blackhawks. Hansen spent much of the
2015–16 season playing on the Canucks' top line with the Sedin twins, following a 5–3 win over the
Columbus Blue Jackets on 10 November 2015 which saw the line tally 11 points. Hansen responded by scoring a career-high 22 goals that season; scoring at least 20 goals for the first time in his career. In the 2016 off-season, the Canucks signed free agent
Loui Eriksson to be the Sedins' new linemate. As a result, Hansen started the
2016–17 season on the second line with
Markus Granlund and
Brandon Sutter. Hansen scored his 100th career NHL goal on 20 October 2016; against
Robin Lehner in a 2–1 win over the
Buffalo Sabres.
San Jose Sharks On 28 February 2017, Hansen was traded by the Canucks to the
San Jose Sharks in exchange for
Nikolay Goldobin and a conditional 4th round-pick in the
2017 NHL entry draft. Hansen was placed on the Shark's top line with
Joe Pavelski and
Joe Thornton.
CSKA Moscow On 2 August 2018, having reached the end of his 12-year NHL career, Hansen signed for Russian club,
HC CSKA Moscow of the
Kontinental Hockey League. In the
2018–19 season, Hansen continued to play his two-way defensively responsible role on the third line, contributing with 7 goals and 18 points in 45 games. In the playoffs, Hansen posted 3 points in 9 games to help CSKA claim their first
Gagarin Cup. On 27 April 2019, Hansen announced his retirement from professional hockey following 16 professional seasons, citing physical inability. ==International play==