As reported a few days ago, Andrew Hammond will no longer be headed to Florida Panthers’ training camp. A one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk was announced today, as the Hamburglar heads to the KHL for 2022-23. The release indicates that Hammond will fly to Russia as soon as his visa is worked out.
While he is 34 now and getting closer to the end of his playing career, it is somewhat surprising that Hammond has chosen to go to the KHL. He has never played overseas before, he had secured a PTO with the Panthers, he is coming off a season with 11 NHL appearances, and he has been a strong AHL performer for nearly a decade.
Still, perhaps he is excited about the opportunity he will receive with Traktor, where he can form a goaltending room with Emil Garipov, who has been brutal through two games so far this season. Ilya Proskuryakov, a 35-year-old netminder who spent last season in the VHL, and Sergei Mylnikov, a young goalie with barely any KHL experience are there too, not much competition for the consistent play of Hammond.
At this point in his career – Hammond will turn 35 in February – a year in the KHL may end any chance of another appearance in the NHL. Through 67 appearances at the highest level, Hammond posted a 31-20-7 record with a .916 save percentage and four shutouts. He also posted a .924 in five playoff appearances, losing three of them.
Okay but who’s signing Clarkson and May?
I can’t imagine being from North America and playing overseas for the first time, and having that be in Russia, in the midst of the biggest armed conflict in the West since WW2. He must really need the cash.
Wow…Like WTF Andy. The Russians are literally killing and raping children and you decide to go play for these sub-humans. What happens when Putin decides to round anyone up anyone with a Canadian passport and hold them as political prisoners? Any Westerner that plays in Russia is out of their minds.