Blogger vs. the World, Chapter 2--The Hamburglar

     It seems like all of the current events are just about doom and gloom.  I feel like if I just watched Fox or CNN news all day, I would be convinced that the world is going to end in a matter of days.  So, for a change, the author of this blog is going to write about the ultimate feel-good story of the NHL this season.  This is the story of Andrew Hammond.

     Andrew Hammond is the newest goaltender of the Ottawa Senators, and as a rookie at twenty-seven years old, can hardly be considered a fresh face.  Hammond has had to overcome adversity virtually his entire hockey career.  He has had to bear playing minor-junior hockey in Canada in front of virtually zero fans, play at the well-below-average University of Bowling Green, and face being cut from his respective NHL club three times.  That did not deter the resilient Canadian.  When given his chance to finally perform in the NHL, he seized the opportunity and skated with it for as long as he could.  

It all started on February 18 of this year.  The Ottawa Senator's backup goalie, Robin Lehner had just been injured, and the third-string Hammond had to replace him.  Hammond stepped in and stopped 42 shots to earn his first NHL win.  This was the beginning of something great for Hammond and the Senators.  Since then the team has put up an unbelievable record of 14-1-1 with Hammond in the net.  In fact, Hammond has been so stellar for the Senators that fans have taken to calling him the Ham-Burglar on account that he has the infamous McDonald's character painted on his mask.  Fans have even gone so far as to throw hamburgers on the ice, which other players have even picked up and eaten. Along with that, the fast-food restaurant McDonald's has given him free hamburgers for life on account of all of the free advertising that he has given them.

     The surgence of Andrew Hammond into the NHL has proven to be essential to the success of his hockey club.  Before he joined the team, the Senators were a struggling team that would surely miss the playoffs, but after he arrived, they are back in the playoff race.  This goes to show that anything can happen in hockey and that Andrew's story is certainly one to feel good about.

Until next time, this is Kevin Freestone signing off.