White Rock's Andrew Hammond has been named the NHL's First Star of the Week, after leading the Ottawa Senators to a 3-0-0 record and allowing just two goals in 180 minutes against Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose.
Hammond posted two shutouts to start his week – 3-0 over Anaheim, 1-0 over L.A. – and then finished with a 4-2 win over the Sharks on Saturday.
Hammond, 27, is now a perfect 5-0-0 this season with Ottawa and his statistics are stellar – he carries a 1.18 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage into his sixth appearance.
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The rookie got his first-ever NHL start on February 18, filling in for injured goaltenders Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner. Anderson has since been activated off Ottawa's injured reserve, so it will be interesting to see how the Senators balance the duo's ice time, now that Hammond has the team just seven points out of a playoff spot.
Hammond will start tomorrow night's game against the Minnesota Wild, Senators coach Dave Cameron said Sunday.
"You have to have two goalies over a long NHL season," Cameron told the Ottawa Sun's Don Brennan. "We'll judge Hammy's play in Minnesota... and the fact that it's a back-to-back, it'll probably be a little easier to make that decision."
Hammond grew up in B.C.'s Semiahmoo Peninsula, attending White Rock's Earl Marriott Secondary. He played his BCHL hockey with his hometown Surrey Eagles and the Vernon Vipers, winning an RBC Cup national championship in 2008, and then played in the NCAA with Bowling Green University.
VIDEO: Andrew Hammond gets first NHL shutout, Senators beat Ducks