Growing up in Nipigon, this future curling star first took to the ice playing hockey. When he was 13, his father taught him how to throw a curling rock and the rest, as the saying goes, is history, with the 'Iceman' going on to enjoy a truly legendary curling career.

Claiming the district high school title for Nipigon-Red Rock, he made his way to Edmonton where he won the 1977 Alberta Mixed Curling title with the Sutton Rink. Returning to Thunder Bay, he skipped the Northern Ontario rink at the 1980 Canadian Men's Curling Championships. In his first, of what would be 9 Brier appearances, he and his teammates Rick Lang, Bob Nicol and Bruce Kennedy made their presence known, placing second at the national event in their rookie year.

Runners up at the 1981 national championships, he was eager for a win when he made his third straight Brier appearance in 1982. Defeating the Giles Rink in a decisive 7-3 Brier final, his rink earned the right to represent Canada at the World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, West Germany. Facing the defending world champion Jurg Tanner in the final, he drew to the button in the 10th end to record a 9-7 win and became the region’s first world championship skip.

His return to the Brier in 1985 along with Lang, Ian Tetley, and Pat Perroud would prove to be a very memorable one. With Alberta leading 5-3 in the 10th end of the final game, he delivered what would become known as the 'Hackner Double', one of the greatest curling shots ever made, tying the score and forcing an extra end. Going on to steal a point for a 6-5 final win, he earned his second Brier title and a trip to the 1985 World Championships in Glasgow where he claimed his second World title by defeating the Stefan Hasselborg Rink of Sweden in a decisive 6-2 final.

Since that victory, the Hackner name has continued to remain in the headlines as he skipped teams to five more Brier appearances ('88,'89,'92,'95 and '01) and to numerous victories from the club to World Curling Tour level. In 2006, he skipped his rink to the Canadian Senior Curling title and earned a silver medal for Canada at the World Senior Curling Championships. When he skipped Northern Ontario to the 2017 Canadian Masters title marking it marked the fourth decade in which a rink bearing the Hackner name appeared at Canadian curling championships.  In addition to his on-ice career, he has also  passed along his knowledge of the game serving as a coach with the USA curling team, attending the 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympic Games in that capacity.

Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, September 25th, 2010