| One of the most prolific
scorers in AHL history will be returning to Glens
Falls as the Adirondack Phantoms announced today
that Denis Hamel has re-signed for the 2011-12 season.
Hamel joined the Phantoms in November, 2010 and
quickly became a fan favorite leading the team in
scoring with 25 goals and 50 points. It was Hamel's
ninth AHL season with 20 or more goals.
"Hammer" rates 16th all-time in AHL history
with 315 goals and is 42nd all-time in total points
with 605. He is 10 goals away from former Adirondack
Red Wings great Glenn Merkosky for 12th on the all-time
list.
The 34 year old veteran has also played in 192
NHL games primarily with the Buffalo Sabres and
Ottawa Senators scoring 19 goals and 31 points.
"Adirondack is a nice place to play,"
Hamel said on his interest in returning. "And
at the end of the season if you look at the stats
we did pretty good at the end. So it's always positive
when you are thinking of going back to the team
that it will be most of the same players."
"Denis is an excellent professional for us
and he has been really good with our younger players,"
said Phantoms Head Coach Joe Paterson. "Plus
he also scored some huge goals for us to enable
us to win some games."
Hamel said he understands how a player with his
amount of experience can play a valuable role on
a team filled with young players, "It's great
when they have a lot of questions because I've been
in the NHL for a few years. It's always great if
I can help a young guy to make it. I'll be the oldest
guy on the team and I'll just try to lead by example
on the ice and off the ice."
Some highlights of Hamel's 2010-11 season with
the Phantoms included:
- Reaching the 300 goal milestone on December 17
in a 3-1 victory over the Hershey Bears. He became
just the 19th AHL player to score 300 goals.
- Recording the second hat trick in Adirondack Phantoms
history and his first since 2008 in a 4-0 victory
at the Hamilton Bulldogs on February 5.
- Recording another hat trick AND reaching the 600
point milestone in the same game in a 6-0 win against
the Rochester Americans on April 4.
Hamel is the all-time leading scorer in Binghamton
Senators history with 203 of his total 315 goals
coming with that team between 2002-2010. He was
captain on the Canadian squad at the AHL All-Star
Classic in Binghamton in 2008. That same year he
won the AHL's Yanick Dupre Award as the AHL's Man
of the Year for his commitment to the community,
youth groups and charitable organizations.
In 2005-06 Hamel won a share of the AHL's Willie
Marshall Award tying for the league lead in goals
with a career high 56. His professional career began
in 1997 with the Rochester Americans and he made
his NHL debut in 1999-2000 with the Buffalo Sabres.
Hamel has played in 776 AHL games and 192 NHL games
for a combined total of 968 putting him within range
to achieve this season the incredible milestone
of 1000 professional games.
Opening night for the 2011-12 season of exciting
Adirondack Phantoms hockey is Saturday, October
8.
Secure your seats for the 2011-12 season with a
full season ticket package. Phantoms Season Ticket
Holders have access to exclusive benefits. Other
great packages available too.
Call 518-480-3355 or visit phantomshockey.com for
more information. Follow the Phantoms on twitter
@phantomshockey and on facebook.com/adkhockey
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