Wild, Hammond agree to two-way deal

ST. PAUL -- Minnesota Wild General Manager Paul Fenton today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has agreed to terms with goaltender Andrew Hammond on a one-year, two-way contract ($650,000/$300,000).

Hammond, 30, went 9-6-2 with a 3.21 goals-against average (GAA) and a .904 save percentage (SV%) in 19 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Belleville Senators and the San Antonio Rampage in 2017-18. The Colorado Avalanche acquired the 6-foot-2, 215-pound native of Surrey, B.C., from Ottawa on Nov. 5, 2017. He stopped 31-of-33 shots in his sole regular season action with the Avalanche on March 28, 2018 and went 1-1 with a 2.62 GAA and a .933 SV% in three Stanley Cup Playoff games for Colorado. Hammond is 27-15-6 with a 2.31 GAA, a .923 SV% and four shutouts in 56 career NHL games (49 starts) in parts of five NHL seasons with Ottawa (2013-17) and Colorado (2017-18). He is 1-3 with a 3.00 GAA and a .924 SV% in five career Stanley Cup Playoff games with Ottawa (2014-15) and Colorado (2017-18).

Ottawa signed Hammond as a free agent on March 20, 2013 and made his NHL debut on Feb. 27, 2014 vs. Detroit. He went 14-0-1 with a 1.58 GAA, a .949 SV% and two shutouts in his first 15 NHL starts with Ottawa (Feb. 18, 2015 - March 23, 2015) and became the second goaltender in NHL history to allow two goals or less in his first 12 starts (Frank Brimsek, 1938-39). Hammond also became the first goaltender to earn at least one point in each of his first 15 NHL starts (14-0-1) since Patrick Lalime (1996-97). He finished the 2014-15 season with a 20-1-2 record and a 1.79 GAA, a .942 SV% and four shutouts in 24 games (23 starts) and was named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy alongside winner Devan Dubnyk.
Hammond went 30-68-13 with a 2.85 GAA, a .896 SV% and seven shutouts in 119 career games during four seasons with Bowling Green State University (2009-13). He was named the team's Jim Ruehl Best Defensive Player and Jim Sears Most Valuable Defensive Player two consecutive seasons (2010-12).
Related:
- Wild.com free agency hub