When injuries felled goaltenders Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner late last season, it was Andrew Hammond who stepped in and helped propel the Ottawa Senators to an improbable run to the post-season.
Hammond’s 10-0-1 start to his NHL career inspired John Bergeron, a Senators fan and owner of six McDonald’s franchises in the Ottawa Valley, to work some connections and arrange for the goaltender nicknamed “The Hamburglar” to receive free burgers for life from the fast-food giant.
Fast forward to this past Tuesday, and Hammond’s free burgers for life actually adds up to $1,000 in coupons, Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun reports.
Hammond was presented with the coupons at a Senators corporate event. While $1,000 worth of McDonald’s burgers certainly falls short of a lifetime’s worth, the goaltender isn’t worried about it.
“Hey, they didn’t need to do anything,” Hammond told the Sun. “They gave fans free McDonald’s [burgers] last year so what else can you ask for?”
The Senators rewarded Hammond with a three-year, $4.05-million contract this past summer after he went 20-1-2 with a 1.73 goals-against average and .943 save percentage in 23 starts in 2014-15. We’re sure it’s in both the Senators’ and Hammond’s best interest that the 27-year-old isn’t living off of delicious McDonald’s hamburgers anyway.
Hammond is set to make his first start of the 2015-16 season Thursday when the Senators host the New Jersey Devils.
