Travis Hamonic

Lore & Background

Hamonic grew up on Hamonic Farms in Manitoba, where he began playing hockey at age five. His father Gerald died of a major heart attack when Hamonic was ten, after which his family moved to Winnipeg. He described hockey as his getaway from thoughts of losing his father. Hamonic is of Metis ancestry and grew up in a religious family; during his time with the Islanders he wore number 3 as a sign of the Holy Trinity. He wore number 36 in his rookie season with the Islanders, later number 24 with the Calgary Flames, and number 27 with the Vancouver Canucks. The ESPN2 series E:60 featured his story in a segment titled 'In the Name of the Father.'

In junior hockey, Hamonic was selected by the Moose Jaw Warriors in the ninth round of the 2005 WHL bantam draft. He split the 2006–07 season between the Warriors and the Winnipeg Saints of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. In his final junior season, he was traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings and played in the 2010 Memorial Cup, where Brandon lost the final to the Windsor Spitfires. Hamonic was named to the tournament all-star team. He was drafted by the New York Islanders in the second round, 53rd overall, of the 2008 NHL entry draft and signed a three-year entry-level contract on May 26, 2010. He made his NHL debut on November 24, 2010, after 19 games in the AHL with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Hamonic scored his first NHL goal on February 1, 2011, against the Atlanta Thrashers.

Hamonic was traded to the Calgary Flames on June 24, 2017, along with a conditional fourth-round pick, for a first-round pick and two second-round picks. He was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy on April 23, 2018. During the 2017–18 season he played alongside T. J. Brodie on the second defence pairing. He later played for the Vancouver Canucks, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings. Hamonic opted out of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reader's Guide

Travis Hamonic's NHL career spanned over a decade, during which he played for five teams: the New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Ottawa Senators, and Detroit Red Wings. He was drafted 53rd overall by the Islanders in 2008 and made his NHL debut in 2010. Hamonic was known as a defensive defenceman who played a shutdown role against opposing teams' best forwards. He was also considered a great shot blocker and good on the penalty kill. In his first two NHL seasons, he was the only Islanders player to finish both seasons with a positive plus-minus rating. He signed a seven-year, $27 million contract extension with the Islanders after the 2012–13 season. Hamonic requested a trade to Western Canada early in the 2015–16 season due to family reasons, but later rescinded that request after his family situation stabilized. He was named an alternate captain for the Islanders in the 2016–17 season. With the Flames, he was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2018. Hamonic opted out of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs due to COVID-19 concerns. Later in his career, he was used on the third pairing and provided depth. He underwent minor knee surgery after the 2023–24 season. As of his most recent season, he is an unrestricted free agent.

Did You Know?

• Hamonic wore number 3 with the New York Islanders as a sign of the Holy Trinity.
• He was named co-captain of the Moose Jaw Warriors alongside Jason Bast prior to the 2009–10 WHL season.