NHL: Andrew Hammond returned to the victory of CH against the Islanders

Goaltender Andrew Hammond not only returned to the National League, but to victory on Sunday in a 3-2 shootout win over the New York Islanders.

The story is inspiring as the 34-year-old goalkeeper waited almost four years for this moment. After being traded by the Minnesota Wild to the Canadiens on Feb. 12, the opportunity presented itself for Hammond to be back in net for the NHL.

Very humble in his answers, the main interested party does not hide however that there was a special element in this meeting and he feels grateful for this chance.

“There is an expression that says that you have to know how to wait for the good things, I would be ready to wait another four years to relive that. It was worth it all and I’m very happy to have had this opportunity”, he underlined after the match.

“I’ve said it before, it’s good to be here, but I always believed I could play and I think I added some weight tonight. I didn’t remember the sequence, but once on the ice, it was like riding a bike. The pace was a little faster, but you get used to it quickly. »

“I would be lying if I said it was like a regular game, but it was close. I felt comfortable from the start,” he added.

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Hammond hadn’t seen action on the Bettman circuit since a game with the Colorado Avalanche in the 2017-18 campaign. He maintains that he kept in mind that his luck could return and that his name was going to be called. He wanted to be ready for that moment and he was by stopping 30 pucks in the win, an NHL first since April 2016.

« You never know how it’s going to turn out. If I hadn’t prepared for the past four years, I might have had some regrets,” he said.

Canadian coach Martin St-Louis praised the goalkeeper’s work after the game.

“It warms the heart and for the whole team to see a player fight for his career like this and have an opportunity like this,” mentioned St-Louis.

« If we hadn’t had all the injuries maybe this opportunity doesn’t come up, but Andrew gave us a chance to win and he played really well. He deserves this,” he added.

The Canadiens will be back in action on Monday night with a matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs.