Andrew Hammond-"The Hamburglar"

There’s a new craze hitting the ice in Ottawa, and it’s not one that’s ever been heard of before. Meet Andrew Hammond, the current Senators’ goaltender who stepped in to take over when Craig Anderson went down with an injury. Since then, the Sens have played nothing but good hockey. In short, they’ve been on fire.

So what’s this new craze, eh? Well let me tell you. Hammond goes by the nickname of “The Hamburglar.” Picking up the nickname while he was in college for his ability to wolf up loose pucks while he attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He’s like the signature and original Hamburglar character branded by McDonald’s who hasn’t really been used in commercials by the company in over a decade. But there’s more to come on the original Hamburglar later.

Andrew Hammond has become only the fifth goaltender in NHL history to avoid a loss in his first 14 NHL starts. He also went 12 starts without giving up more than 2 goals during a contest before the Boston Bruins snuck four past him and he was pulled during the game. The Senators have rallied around him and his play, because of that hamburgers have been flying onto the ice.

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Picture this. Last week, the Senators found themselves in overtime facing the Philadelphia Flyers and the game was forced into a shootout. “The Hamburglar” stood tall in between the pipes, staying calm, and showcasing his talent as Ottawa topped the Broadstreet Bullies by a final score of 2-1.

One fan tossed a hamburger onto the ice. Wait, back up a second. Pause. No longer was it raining men, but now it’s raining burgers. Burgers?! Yes, you heard me correctly. It’s raining burgers! After the burger was thrown onto the ice, Hammond skated forward to collect the burger. According to “The Hamburglar,” the burger was a bit cold so he didn’t attempt to taste it, however he took it all in good fun.

This started the new trend of burgers flying onto the ice whenever the Sens pick up a big win recently. Not only has it got the fans going, but also it seems to have riled up the Senators and has allowed them to push forward and gain a playoff spot.

So back to the original Hamburglar seen in McDonald’s commercials and known as the “burger coveting character” for the company. His signature trademark is a black mask, black top hat, red gloves, and bright red hair. The original Hamburglar hasn’t really been seen in marketing trends for McDonald’s in about a decade. However with the emergence of Hammond, the tricky little original Hamburglar seems to have made an appearance once more. Could his popularity be on the rise again? The Hamburglar steals hamburgers from the innocent, just like Hammond can scoop up pucks.

At the Canadian Tire Centre the other night, the Senators gave out 10,000 Hamburglar masks to fans. In addition, McDonald’s seems to be having fun with Hammond’s new nickname as well. They have sponsored the “Big Mac Minute” where ticket holders will be able to get a free burger if the Senators score within a designated 60 seconds during the game.

There’s also talk of McDonald’s getting some sort of $1 million dollar sponsorship value if Hammond continues to excel in goal. He’s definitely helped McDonald’s market a bit, even if it wasn’t on purpose.

Andrew Hammond also has a small picture painted of the Hamburglar on the side of his mask. It’s become a lot more than just one or two hamburgers hitting the ice as of late.

Hammond has helped spark the Ottawa Senators forward but there’s a lot more than that pushing the team. The Sens are hungry to reach the playoffs, a lot hungrier than they are for a burgers. It’s going to be interesting to see if Hammond has the capability to shine big time in the spotlight if the Sens make the playoffs and what will happen if Craig Anderson gets the nod in goal. Will the Senators make a similar response for him like they did with the emergence of “The Hamburglar?”

Andrew Hammond has turned many heads with his spectacular play for the Senators. It’s going to be a lot of fun seeing what will happen next in his career.

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