Andrew Hammond holds up a hamburger that was tossed on the ice Sunday. (Sean Kilpatrick, AP)
As Andrew “Hamburglar” Hammond approaches another record Thursday, the Ottawa Senators want fans to find another way to celebrate than throwing hamburgers on the ice.
The hamburger throw has made for great comedy, including Hammond tossing one to a fan and Curtis Lazar eating one, but the league can hand out a delay of game penalty and fans have been warned about that during games.
“We will continue to abide by both our own and the NHL’s policy to work in the best interests of the safety of our fans and the players – which does not permit items being thrown on the ice during play,” Senators spokesman Brian Morris said Wednesday via email. “There will be zero tolerance for any items thrown onto the ice during play.”
The delay of game penalty has been in place since 1996, after Florida Panthers fans tossed plastic rats on the ice during their run to the Stanley Cup Final. Not to mention that it can be dangerous for the players.
Coach Dave Cameron said he supported a comment he heard on the radio that fans should make a donation to a food bank instead.
“Sometimes, you appreciate the support and enthusiasm of your fans, but sometimes it can be channeled in a better way,” he said at the end of his news conference.
You can forgive the fans in Ottawa for being giddy. Hammond, 27, who has the McDonald’s character on his mask, is 14-0-1 and tied an NHL record by not giving up more than two goals in a game in his first 12 games. His run has moved the Senators into a wild-card spot.
Hammond was banged into by San Jose’s Logan Couture on Monday, but says he’s good to go for Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers.
If he wins or at least gets to overtime, he’ll tie Patrick Lalime’s record (14-0-2) for longest point streak by a goalie at the start of his NHL career.
“Obviously, we want to get points, we want to win tomorrow night,” he told reporters. “If the record comes with that, that would be great, but ultimately, the biggest concern is making sure that we’re ready as a team to win tomorrow night.”
UPDATE
The Senators will start playing this anti-hamburger-throwing video featuring Erik Karlsson (in English) and Marc Methot (in French).
Follow Mike Brehm on Twitter @ByMikeBrehm
