This article could simply start off with one name, two words: Travis Hamonic. Nearly every Islander fan knows who he is, and throughout hockey, players and fans have respect for him. Although Hamonic might not dawn the blue and orange anymore he’s still a widely known fan favorite throughout. Hamonic is well-respected in the NHL for his lifestyle on the ice, but it’s his lifestyle off the ice that secured the respect of so many people.
It’s well known in the NHL and beyond that Calgary Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic had a tough childhood. Hamonic was the youngest of four children, and he grew up helping his father Jerry on the farm he was raised on. In an interview with Jeremy Schaap on ESPN, Hamonic spoke highly of his father, saying that “He was my superhero. He was someone that I felt most safe within this world than anyone else can imagine.” Hamonic’s mother, Lisa, states that Travis and his father shared a deep connection that grew stronger when Travis began to play sports and was forged even deeper once Travis stepped onto the ice. Hamonic states that no matter what he chose to do with his life, his father would be proud of him. Then one faithful night struck and Travis Hamonic’s life was flipped upside down.
On September 15th, 2000, a ten-year-old Travis went to bed after a normal day on the farm. He didn’t expect to be woken up in the middle of the night by his older sister, Melissa, screaming at him. Travis ran out of the room just in time to see his father being stretchered out of the house. It’s clear during his interview with Schaap that Hamonic was trying not to break down in tears. He recollects that last moment with his father, “He just held out his hand. I remember just grabbing it as they wheeled him away. That was it. That’s the last memory I have.” Hamonic’s father had suffered a fatal heart attack and passed away in the hospital that night at just 44 years old.
Hamonic mentioned that at ten years old, you’re in shock and just trying to figure out what’s going on and what’s happening; trying to figure out if it’s real or not. It was because of that feeling that Travis Hamonic vowed to help as many kids as he can. Mainly, he wanted to help kids like him who suffered the loss of a parent at a young age. When he was playing with the New York Islanders, Travis founded Hamonic’s D-Partner. Hamonic stated that “I wish I would have had any sort of guidance at some point in my life, of how to deal with it.” Through Hamonic’s D-Partner, Hamonic began to meet with kids after every home game, win or loss. At these meetings, there is a lot of “opening up” and “sharing” even though they’re people he didn’t even know. Hamonic mentioned that there is a feeling there, that they could help each other out. During the meet-and-greet, Hamonic gives the family a locker room tour, gives them a signed stick, takes a picture with them, and then sits down and talks to them. During the talk Hamonic tells them about how it’s okay to grieve the loss of their parent, and that it’s okay to feel sad, but that they are stronger than they think and that everything will be okay. At these meetings, Hamonic makes sure he knows that he didn’t plan on lecturing them on how to grieve since everyone grieves differently and that it’s normal whatever they are going to go through. During the interview with Schaap, Hamonic is seen talking to a child to which the adult with said child states that she thinks it’s a great thing that he’s doing. Through the D-Partner Program, Hamonic received the NHL Foundation Player Award after the 2016-17 season, which came with a $25,000 grant to a charity of Hamonic’s choice.

Many of the children that Travis Hamonic has met with have spoken about how much of an impact he has made on their lives. One child stated that meeting Hamonic was like “meeting a brother.” Another teenager that he met spoke about how without meeting Hamonic, he doesn’t know if he would still be here. Hamonic believes that he seems himself in a lot of the kids that he meets with. He states that the most important thing he tries to state is that “the sun will come up the next day and will get better.” During the interview with Hamonic, Schaap mentions that Hamonic giving voice to something he’s suppressed for years he’s given hope to others and has given himself a chance to heal. Hamonic said he gets a little more closure every time he talks to a child.

Hamonic may not don the blue and orange anymore, but his impact is still felt throughout the Islanders community and throughout the entirety of the NHL. He still participates in Hamonic’s D-Partner =as a member of the Calgary Flames, and now that he is closer to home in Manitoba, he is able to do even more than ever. Hamonic is slowly learning to heal as he helps others who lost their father as well. To see the full episode of ESPN’s E:60 click this link: In the Name of the Father.

David Lazar