Hamonic excited to play vs Islanders

Travis Hamonic has never been one to hide his feelings, so it was clear how much his time with the Islanders meant to him when he addressed the media on Sunday morning. 

“It was home for seven plus years for me and my family,” Hamonic said. “I’ll be an old guy one day and I’ll look back at my time as an Islander and I’ll be extremely proud of wearing that jersey and what it means and how passionate people are here… I look back at it in a positive way and appreciate some of the things I was able to do and our team was able to do.”

Hamonic, who was drafted by the Islanders in the second round of the 2008 draft, played 444 games with the team from 2010-17 before being traded to the Calgary Flames over the summer. Sunday’s his first game facing his former team, which he said will be a little weird, starting with making a right turn into the visitor’s locker room after a couple of years of automatically going left. 

“These are fans and teammates I played with for so long and a place I called home for a long time,” Hamonic said. “I’m excited to get out there and play in front of them and play as hard as ever.” 

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The 27-year-old said he’s proud that he was able to play for the Isles for seven years. Long Island holds a lot of hockey memories for Hamonic, including his first game, goal and point. He thanked General Manager Garth Snow and former coach Jack Capuano for giving him an opportunity to break in and make an impact in the league. 

“These are things that I really cherish and appreciate,” Hamonic said. 

The playoffs are Hamonic’s top memories from his time with the Islanders, from the 2013 series against the Pittsburgh Penguins to the playoff series win over the Florida Panthers – the Isles first series win in 23 years. 

“Probably the coolest thing that I did and was most proud of in my Islander jersey is obviously the playoff series win,” Hamonic said. “We fell short the first couple of years and the feeling of how proud we were and how proud I was of our team and the teammates that we had, that’s probably the thing I look back on the most, that feeling of excitement after. I know it was just one round, but there was a lot of talk about it. That’s something that I’m most proud of.”

Video: NYI@FLA, Gm5: Hamonic puts a big check on Jokinen

Shutdown defensemen don’t usually wind up in the highlight reels, but Hamonic’s rough-and-tumble game was always appreciated by his teammates and by Head Coach Doug Weight. 

“You start with his compete level,” Weight said. “He played every shift like it was going to be his last and he’d do anything to try to win, block shots, fight. I think he was a real good adapter. Great feet, big tall kid and he plays strong and those D are hard to find.” 

“He’s a heart-and-soul guy,” said Brock Nelson, who played with Hamonic for four seasons. “He was a leader for us and put everything into it. It’s always weird playing some guy you kind of become close with after a while but that’s part of the game. You always wish him the best, and it will definitely be different seeing him on the other side.”

Hamonic’s legacy on Long Island will always include his charitable work with his D-Partner of the Game program, where he invited kids who had lost a parent – as he had when he lost his father at 10-years-old – to an Islanders game. He helped provide support to a lot of families going through gut-wrenching tragedies and his last act as an Islander was winning the NHL’s Foundation Player Award. Hamonic’s continued his D-Partner program in Calgary and has started The Northern Project, where he invites Indigenous children from the Canadian territories to a Flames game.

“It’s your duty to be a good person and try to help others around you, so being a hockey player you have a platform to do that and an opportunity and I tried to take that and run with it as best I can,” Hamonic said. 

Hamonic’s charitable work inspired some of his former Islanders teammates to get more involved in the community, including Anders Lee, who is hosting his second Kancer Jam on Feb. 19. 

Video: Travis Hamonic up for NHL Foundation Player Award

“I admired what Hammer was doing and it kind of inspired me to do more and get involved as well,” said Lee, who added that seeing Hamonic meet with families after games left an impression. 

Sunday’s game will be an emotional one for Hamonic, who will be honored with a video tribute, though he said he’ll be focusing on the Flames’ playoff push once the puck drops. 

“It’ll be neat to come back, but once the game starts I’ve been around long enough to know you have to park the emotions,” Hamonic said. 

Not always the easiest thing for a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve.