South Surrey-raised NHL goaltender Andrew Hammond has called it a career.

The 34-year-old sa国际传媒淗amburglarsa国际传媒� announced his retirement from hockey in Monday (Dec. 19), blaming an ankle injury he suffered while playing for Montreal Canadiens last season.

sa国际传媒淚 wonsa国际传媒檛 be able to make a full recovery,sa国际传媒� Hammond posted.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 excited for more time stopping pucks at home with Cal, Carson and Harlow.sa国际传媒�

Hammond first signed a NHL contract with Ottawa Senators on St. Patricksa国际传媒檚 Day 2013.

sa国际传媒淥ne dream came true,sa国际传媒� he wrote. sa国际传媒淚 was an undrafted free agent signing out of college. I thought things couldnsa国际传媒檛 get better than that. I was wrongsa国际传媒� my career was a series of unbelievable and unexpected memories. I met some of the best people I know and I can honestly say I had the best sa国际传媒榡obsa国际传媒� in the world.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒� Andrew Hammond (@andrewhammond30)

While in Ottawa, during the teamsa国际传媒檚 improbable run to the playoffs that spring. Senators fans threw hamburgers on the ice in salute to the Hamburglar, who compiled a 20-win, one-loss record in relief of the injured Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner.

The White Rock-born Hammond grew up playing for teams with Semiahmoo Minor Hockey Association and graduated from Earl Marriott Secondary.

sa国际传媒淚 always was the kid who at age six was begging my parents to take shots on me in the driveway,sa国际传媒� . sa国际传媒淚 was hooked on hockey after that sa国际传媒�94 Canucks (playoff) run and always dreamed about being in the NHL.sa国际传媒�

As a teen he played 32 games for Surrey Eagles and began to doubt whether he wanted to continue playing hockey.

sa国际传媒淭hings werensa国际传媒檛 going for him and he wasnsa国际传媒檛 playing much, so he was going to hang them up,sa国际传媒� Sean Murray, his longtime goaltending coach, said in 2015.

During the 2007-08 season, Hammond was dealt to Vernon Vipers of the BCHL.

sa国际传媒淗e wasnsa国际传媒檛 sure he was going to go,sa国际传媒� Murray recalled. sa国际传媒淚 said to him, sa国际传媒楯ust go play, you never know whatsa国际传媒檚 going to happen, right?sa国际传媒� So he went up there and all of a sudden he won the RBC Cup (national championship) with them. He finally got the chance to play, and with a decent team, and he just took off from there.sa国际传媒�

to see Hammondsa国际传媒檚 career stats on eliteprospects.com.

Hammond played at Bowling Green State University from 2009 to 2013. During his NHL career, Hammond signed with six teams, including Ottawa, Montreal, Colorado, Buffalo, Minnesota and New Jersey. Over the years he bounced around the AHL minor league, too, and ended his pro days this year with a pair of games in the Russian KHL league, with Traktor Chelyabinsk.

sa国际传媒淚 would like to thank my wife first and foremost,sa国际传媒� Hammond tweeted Monday. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檝e had probably 20 addresses wesa国际传媒檝e called home throughout my career. Shesa国际传媒檚 been there for all of it; good games, bad games and everything in between. I would also like to thank my parents for making the sacrifices along the way that allowed me to live out my dream.sa国际传媒�

Appropriately, he signed off with a hamburger emoji.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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