At times, the ‘Hamburglar’ days must seem like a dream to Andrew Hammond. Or a role he played in a sports movie.
It was real, though, as real as the sleet pelting Ottawa’s Canadian Tire Centre at game time.
For that brief period of time, a two-month stretch from mid-February of 2015 until mid-April, Hammond was the hottest goaltender in the NHL, and hands-down its best story.
Undrafted and unloved (hockey-wise) out of Bowling Green State, Hammond came north from AHL Binghamton, where he was playing just so-so. Thrust into an emergency starter’s role with Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner injured, this soft-spoken puck stopper became the “Hamburglar” (an old college nickname) while putting up a 20-1-2 record, 1.79 goals-against average and .941 save percentage.
Hammond, suddenly elevated to cult figure status in this market, carried the Senators into a playoff position, although the bubble burst on him in the quarter-final series against the Montreal Canadiens.
Still, he earned an NHL contract out of that stretch run. And ever since … he has met with catastrophe. A groin injury in training camp in the fall of 2015. A November concussion caused by repeated shots to the mask. While he appeared in 24 games last season, his overall numbers were not Hamburglar-esque (7-11-4, 2.65 GAA, 914 save percentage).
Back to the drawing board at the 2016 training camp, again with the prospect of backing up Anderson for a full season. But no. In just his second start of the season, Hammond suffered another groin injury versus the Calgary Flames in late October. Then, in a Dec. 18 game against the New York Islanders, he twisted awkwardly and endured a high ankle sprain. Oy vey.
When he came on in relief of weary Mike Condon against the Buffalo Sabres Saturday, Hammond was appearing in his first game since Dec. 18 and just his fifth of the season. With Anderson back practicing with the team, there was a thought that might be Hammond’s last appearance with the Senators. Then he learned on Monday he would get another shot.
Tuesday evening, four days before his 29th birthday, Hammond got the call against the St. Louis Blues, and he rediscovered a bit of the old magic.
While his teammates were finding their legs in the first period, Hammond was laying down the law with point-blank stops on Jori Lehtera and Kenny Agostino, who was in alone. Paul Stastny wheeled and fired a shot through a crowd that Hammond corralled.
After 20 minutes, the Blues had outshot Ottawa 13-5, but the score was 0-0 thanks to Hammond.
He ran out of miracles in the second period, as the Blues pressed hard to pick up a pair. Magnus Paajarvi, swooping in from the wing, beat Hammond with a quick shot to the roof of the net. What followed was an impressive penalty kill by the home team, but seconds after the power play ended, St. Louis worked a two-on-one from the corner, with Vladimir Tarasenko finishing off the play.
In the third, the lifeless Senators hung their goalie out to dry, and Blues took full advantage in a 6-0 rout. Hammond could be blamed for a couple goals, but not all.
Unfortunately, even a better performance by Hammond would have guaranteed little, so much has the landscape changed in the past couple of months. Hammond is no longer secure in the backup position as Condon, acquired out of desperation when Hammond was hurt, has been solid while filling in for Anderson. Until his recent return, Anderson was on personal leave to be with his wife, Nicholle, receiving cancer treatments in the U.S.
Anderson should be suiting up for a game soon, meaning Hammond was likely playing Tuesday for a job someplace else.
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Does he ever think of those Hamburglar days?
“To an extent, you do. If you’re ever looking for examples of success you were able to have in the league, you look back at that,” Hammond said, prior to facing the Blues. “That in itself can give you confidence.
“But that’s a long time ago and the biggest thing for me is just trying to build off that and the things I learned through that.”
There have been three fascinating goalie stories out of Ottawa in 2016-17. The No. 1 guy away on personal leave for months. Condon comes out of nowhere and sets a club record with 28 consecutive appearances in goal, not to mention 15 wins on the season. And then Hammond, plagued by injury, gets hurt at the one moment when he might have had a chance to start a bunch of games in Ottawa. He subsequently declined an invitation to Binghamton on a conditioning stint, and later cleared waivers.
Only a goaltender could view this as just another season in the business.
“In goaltending, specifically, if you end up looking in the rear-view too much, you’re going to get caught up – whether looking at all the good games you’ve had, or the bad games,” Hammond says. “Either way, it’s going to ultimately take away from your play. And I think that’s really the main thing you have to focus on: what’s ahead.”
What is ahead for the Hamburglar is anyone’s guess.
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