Senators Artcles: Sens' Hamel still living his dream
March 23, 2005

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Rob Tillotson of The AHL.com

Sens' Hamel still living his dream

By Rob Tillotson

Denis Hamel is tied for eighth in the AHL scoring race with 67 points in 68 games for Binghamton this season.

Four years ago Denis Hamel was in a position that any young American Hockey League prospect would envy.

Hamel, then 23 years old, was in the midst of his first season in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres. Through 41 games of the 2000-01 campaign Hamel had recorded 11 points (eight goals, three assists) while trying to make his mark on the Buffalo coaching staff.

But the season did not end so nicely for the young prospect. Hamel tore a knee ligament putting an abrupt end to his rookie year in Buffalo.

Following surgery to repair the ligament Hamel spent six months recovering and preparing for a return to the NHL. Once he returned, Hamel admits that the injury was something he couldn’t help but think about when he stepped on the ice.

“The first year when I went out on the ice I was afraid something would happen to my knee again,” Hamel said. “Eventually I thought if something happens, it happens. But I love the game and wanted to play the best I can. If you are afraid on the ice then it probably is not the sport for you.”

Hamel’s numbers showed some signs of struggle his first year back. He appeared in 61 games during the 2001-02 season, but tallied only eight points (two goals and six assists).

“After I started playing again it was hard for first year, but now I am back to where I was before I got hurt,” said Hamel.

The following season Hamel split time between Buffalo and the Rochester Americans. In Rochester Hamel looked to return to his scoring ways, recording 47 points (27 goals and 20 assists), however his game in Buffalo was far from that mark. In 25 games with the Sabres that year, Hamel put up only two goals.

Following that season Hamel felt it was time for a change. On July 5, 2003, he signed a multi-year contract with the Ottawa Senators organization. Now in his second season with the Senators, Hamel has taken his career to a new level.

He spent 78 games of the 2003-04 season with Binghamton, where he recorded a career high in points (67) and assists (38). Hamel also scored 29 goals that year, the second highest total of his professional career. He spent five games with the Ottawa Senators but was unable to record any points with the big club. It was in Binghamton where Denis really began to shine.

This season Hamel has been put into a role he’s not so familiar with. Hamel is one of the older players on the Binghamton Senators roster and is widely looked up to as one of the team’s leaders. Hamel accepts these new expectations with open arms.

“It is great to be one of the oldest guys on the team and everyone looks to you. That is why I try to set an example by always being one of the first guys to arrive at the hockey rink in the morning and one of the first to be on the ice,” said Hamel. “So I just try to set an example for the rest of the guys and it is great because a lot of guys ask me questions about the NHL and what it takes to play there and I just tell them always the same thing. Work hard and you could never know what will happen.”

Through the first 68 games of the season he has already tied his career high for points that he set last year. He has 32 goals, only two shy of his career best, and has added 35 assists.

Given all the success he has had in Binghamton during the last two seasons, Hamel has not yet given up on his dream of once again playing in the NHL, but knows that time is running short.

“It would be great to make it back, but I know my age and if I don’t go back then I will still be happy. I love the game and I love to play and if I have to play in the AHL the rest of my life I will. There is always a chance that I could play there again and if I get that chance I would love to take it.”

For now, Hamel focuses much of his time on mentoring the younger guys on the team while helping the Senators as much as he can in the team’s chase for the Calder Cup this spring. The influx of talent throughout the league due to the NHL lockout has provided Hamel with some very gifted youngsters to mentor. Guys like Jason Spezza, Antoine Vermette and Brandon Bochenski will almost certainly take their place in a NHL dressing room once the lockout ends and are currently providing Hamel with some serious NHL-caliber talent surrounding him.

“It is great playing with those guys. They are great players and one day I will be happy to tell everyone I played with Jason Spezza,” said Hamel. “Like I said at the beginning of the season, we have a great team and we just need to make sure we play well in the playoffs.”

Hamel, who turns 28 in May, says he is enjoying this season and the success is even surprising to him at times.

“It is always a surprise when you do better than your best season. This is my best season right now and I am just happy I have done well. I didn’t believe that I could beat 67 points in one year but it has happened this year and it feels great.”

As the Calder Cup playoffs rapidly approach Hamel is committed to helping his club win and says there is nowhere in the AHL he would rather be than Binghamton as the Sens try to capture the first championship in the city of Binghamton’s 32-year professional hockey history.

“It has been great spending the last two years here and I am really happy playing in Binghamton. It is a great town. But on the ice I just have to do what I have always done. Just work hard and put the puck in the net sometimes.”