Hamonic ready for next life-changing event

CALGARY -- Travis Hamonic was about to start a new chapter in his professional hockey career when he found out there wasa major change coming in his personal life as well.
Hamonic was hard at work in the crawl space of his cabin at Lake of the Woods, Ontario, a few weeks before beginning his first training camp with the Calgary Flames in September when his wife, Stephanie, interrupted him with some important family news.

"It's pretty dark down there," Hamonic said. "All of a sudden, the hatch opened, and she dropped in. I was like, 'What are you doing here?' Then she told me the news, that she was pregnant.
"Kind of a neat way for her to tell me, and then immediately I started counting in my head."
Hamonic was doing hockey-player math and calculating the due date against the schedule for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Hamonics are expecting, for the first time, in April -- the same time Travis hopes to be playing in the playoffs for the Flames, who acquired him June 24 in a trade with the New York Islanders.
"You see the date and hope it's between home games," he said, smiling widely.
Hamonic was talking after practice last week in the Flames' dressing room, where there was a palpable level of Christmas anticipation. Cade Brouwer, the 2-year-old son of forward Troy Brouwer, had a plastic container filled with cookies and was going around the room offering them to each player.
For Hamonic, the excitement about becoming a first-time father is coupled with the holiday season with his new team after the Islanders traded him to Calgary for a first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft and two second-round picks. A name for his daughter has been selected. His older brother Jesse, who lives in St. Louis, is expecting an addition to his family about two weeks before Travis and Stephanie.
"Life is going to change, but we're ready for it," Hamonic said. "I'm ready for the experience and challenge of being a father and do the best thing I'll ever do in my life. That will be the No. 1 thing."
Hamonic was honored June 20 when he received the NHL Foundation Player Award at the 2017 NHL Humanitarian Awards at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. He was 10 years old when his father, Gerald, died of a heart attack at age 44. With the Islanders, he established the D-Partner Program, hosting participants at games and spending one-on-one time afterward with the children, who have lost a parent.

"I've learned a lot of hard lessons at a young age," the 27-year-old defenseman said. "And so, I know how fast things can go and how fast something can be taken away from you. I'm extremely grateful and proud of what I do for a living but there's a bigger picture and I think it's our duty to be good people.
"It doesn't matter what you do. To do good in the world and try to spread it as best as you can, that's all you can do."
One of his first concerns was ensuring he would be able to transfer the D-Partner program to Calgary. The Flames, knowing about his impact in the community with the Islanders, was thrilled to set up a similar program in Alberta. Hamonic also immediately started discussions with the Flames about adding another charity endeavor.

Hamonic holds his Metis roots close to him and was inspired by the late singer Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip to do something for indigenous families. With his wife, Hamonic established The Northern Project and brought in a family from Nunavut for the weekend to see the Flames play the Nashville Predators on Dec. 16.
"I felt like it was a great opportunity to follow [Downie's] lead," Hamonic said. "My wife and I decided that we wanted to start a new initiative and charity work in a different form than what I've been doing and help out some of these families and these communities from way up north that a lot of people wouldn't even know the community exists. It's pretty remote location where a lot of them are from."

In order to travel to Calgary, the family needed five flights, starting from Naujaat near the Arctic Circle. The family -- MacLeod, 14, and Pakak, 13, and their father, Emmanuel -- lost their mother and two older brothers in a swimming accident almost a decade ago. MacLeod, then 5, and Pakak were on the shore watching the tragic events unfold and had tried to go back to town to get help.
In Calgary they met Hamonic and he spoke to them about what he went through at a young age. They brought a Nunavut flag to the game and presented it to Hamonic, who had the Flames players sign it for them.
"During the morning skate the kids were down by the glass and they were having a ball just watching the team skate," said Blake Heynen, the Flames' manager of community relations. "I said to their dad, 'What are you enjoying the most?' And he said, 'Just seeing my kids happy.'"

CBC broadcaster Scott Oake offered one of the best descriptions of Hamonic's humanity and willingness to give back. He said being around Hamonic makes you want to be a better person
The Flames are fortunate to have two such individuals. Defenseman Mark Giordano, who won ESPN's Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award in Los Angeles on July 12, was the first player from the Flames to call Hamonic after the trade.
"I've never seen a team run into trouble because they've got too many character people," general manager Brad Treliving said. "So what does it mean? It means they've got their priorities in order. They come to work every day and work.
"We've got a lot of young players on our team. I think they're a great influence to them, not just because they're involved in the community. But to me, it's how they live their lives, the lifestyle they have. And it shows. They put their profession No. 1, but they're also adamant there's more they can do in the community helping others."

To Hamonic, hockey is just part of his life.
"Being a hockey player is what I do for a living," he said. "That's not what identifies me as a person. Don't get me wrong; I'm extremely proud to do what I do. I'm grateful. But soon enough I'll be an old retired guy that no one will remember.
"But if they do remember something, I hope it's more guided toward some of the work I've done away from the game."
Hamonic has five points (one goal, four assists) and is minus-4 in 32 games. He is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, having missed the Flames' 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday. The Flames expect him to return Dec. 28 at the San Jose Sharks.
The Flames had high expectations for the defense pair of Hamonic and TJ Brodie. But what looks good on paper doesn't always mesh right away on the ice, though Treliving said he's seen signs of progress in the past few weeks.
"When you play with a certain partner for an extended period, you read off him," Treliving said. "You're sort of their yang to their yin. It takes a little bit of time to learn that with a new partner.

"There was a little bit of that with him and TJ. But I think we've gotten over that early phase. He's been terrific … I just found myself re-watching the game the next day; there's a lot more good things taking place. The chemistry started to fit.
"The last 12, 13 games with them on the ice, we've outshot, outchanced and outscored our opponents. So you're tying the viewing to performance."
For Hamonic, it didn't take long for the wide-open spaces to work their way into his heart. Hamonic grew up on a farm in St. Malo, Manitoba, so he and Stephanie were looking for space, not close quarters, in the move to Calgary.
"The drive home for me is a great way to unwind," Hamonic said. "Jumping on the Trans-Canada Highway to get home and all you're seeing is fields, open spaces. I sit on my back porch, on my back deck, and I see open spaces and the mountains. It's just what you're accustomed to. We enjoyed our time in New York, certainly, but this is a place where you want to live for a long time."