Senators extend goaltender Andrew Hammond through 2018 season

The Ottawa Senators have agreed to a three-year extension with goaltender Andrew Hammond, the team announced Wednesday.

Hammond, 27, who as of January was toiling in the American Hockey League, helped Ottawa to a surprise playoff berth – when he took over as the starting goaltender in February, the Senators appeared well out of the race.

His ascent was impressive, posting a 20-1-2 record in 24 games with the Senators, with a 1.79 goals-against average and .941% save percentage, including three shutouts. Though he appeared in only two first round playoff games for Ottawa before being replaced by Craig Anderson, Hammond's performance garnered a long-term commitment from the club.

Gaining additional notoriety for his "Hamburglar" nickname, and mask featuring the McDonalds character, Hammond earned himself a lifetime of free meals from the fast-food chain and prompted fans to toss burgers on the ice.

Hammond's new contract will pay him an average of $1.35 million annually ($1.2M, $1.35M, $1.5M) through the 2017-18 season.

- Jeremy Woo