Andrew Hammond returning to Ottawa to commemorate 10 years since ‘Hamburglar run’ to NHL playoffs

Ottawa Senators' Andrew Hammond, nicknamed 'The Hamburglar' holds up a hamburger after it was thrown on the ice after he defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 in the shootout in NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Sunday, March 15, 2015. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The man at the heart of a major playoff push for the Ottawa Senators is returning to the Canadian Tire Centre (CTC) next month.

The Sens have announced that Andrew Hammond, the goalie known as “The Hamburglar”, will be at the CTC on March 1 as Ottawa takes on San Jose.

It has been 10 years since the legendary “Hamburglar run” that helped push the Sens into the playoffs. Ottawa was 10 points out of a playoff spot when, on Feb. 18, 2015, Hammond was put in between the pipes against the Montreal Canadiens because Robin Lehner had been injured. The Sens won that game 4-2.

Hammond would go on to end the regular season with a 20-1-2 record, including three shutouts, a .941% save percentage, and the Senators in a wild card position.

As the run gained momentum, fans would celebrate by throwing hamburgers on the ice after a win. Hammond famously picked one up and held it aloft after the game and teammate Curtis Lazar took a bite out of another one.

While the Sens were eliminated by the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs that year, the “Hamburglar run” has become a legend among fans. Hammond retired from the NHL in 2022.

“Hey Sens fans. I know you enjoyed some pizza back in December, but I think it’s time for a hamburger,” Hammond said in a short video posted to social by the Senators, referencing the reunion of the famous “Pizza Line”—Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley—last year.

The Senators are currently fourth in the Atlantic Division with a record of 29-23-4.