HAMMER TIME

Hampton Slukynsky – or ‘Hammer’ to his friends – takes his puck-stopping talents to Western Michigan after a dominant season in the USHL

BY RYAN KENNEDY

EVER SINCE HE WAS a kid, Hampton Slukynsky has been nicknamed ‘Hammer.’ When Slukynsky started playing goaltender around age seven or eight, his mother would stick a foam hammer to the glass behind his crease, and that practice has continued throughout the netminder’s developing career – depending on how the local rink crew felt about it. “She still does it,” Slukynsky said. “Some rinks in the USHL didn’t allow it, but she’d always put it up to take a picture until someone took it down.” In Fargo, where Slukynsky helped the Force win a championship last year, the folks at the arena were more than happy to see the hammer posted up whenever the kid was in the crease. Indeed, despite being a rookie, Slukynsky led the USHL with a 1.86 goals-against…

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The Hockey News (Digital) - 1 Issue, Goalie Issue 2024

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