Advertisement

Islanders' Travis Hamonic not going to change his game after trade request

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

SYOSSET, N.Y. – Travis Hamonic is willing to wait. His trade request to New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow was delivered before the start of the 2015-16 season, but he understands the process may take a while.

“I don’t want to handcuff the team by any means,” Hamonic said after Thursday’s practice. “Garth has a job to do and I completely understand that and I respect his process. I respect Garth tremendously, not just as a general manager but as a person as well. Maybe in this business people overlook some of those things.

“He’s going to do what he feels is best for the organization and I’ve said that from the start. I’ve signed here and I love it here. I really enjoy my teammates. So whatever Garth feels is best is not going to bother me. I’m ready to play here and battle hard and go to war every night. It hasn’t been an issue for me so far this season, and I continue to try to work hard and win here. That’s our goal. One thing I can guarantee and promise is I’m not going to change how I play on the ice.”

[Play Yahoo Daily Fantasy and get a 100% deposit bonus with your first deposit]

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke the news on Wednesday that Hamonic asked to be dealt prior to the season because of a personal matter. The 25-year old defenseman wouldn’t reveal the nature of the situation, but it clearly caught the hockey world off-guard.

Before practice on Thursday, Hamonic addressed his teammates in what he described as one of the most difficult conversations he’s had in his life.

“I would have liked to have the chance to talk to them and not have them see it online first, but it is what it is, and those things can’t be changed, unfortunately,” Hamonic said. “It was difficult. They were certainly very understandable of my personal situation, as I would hope anyone would be in this situation. Those are guys that you go to war with. Some of those guys I’ve been playing with for six years and really know really well. [Islanders head coach Jack Capuano] always talks about a brotherhood in there and it certainly is.

“I think you’re always shocked when something like this [happens], but at the same time it’s a unique situation,” said Islanders captain John Tavares, who’s played with Hamonic since 2010. “There’s more than just a game at times for all of us.”

Hamonic’s preference is Western Canada, closer to where he grew up in Manitoba, so immediately Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames fans began creating their own trade proposals. The Islanders blue liner is the owner of a very friendly contract ($3,857,142 cap hit through 2020) and has developed into one of the league’s top-pairing defensemen.

Capuano was aware of Hamonic’s situation and knows that an eventual trade could take time and won’t be easy to make.

“If you think Garth’s just going to turn around and trade a guy, it’s not happening. It’s gonna happen if the deal is right,” Capuano said.

He’s also not expecting this news to affect the dressing room.

“I think the guys understand. We all go through adversity in life,” Capuano said. “Life is more important than the game. They play a game that they love to play. They have a great teammate. And they’re probably wondering that he’s played that well with everything on his mind right now. It hasn’t affected his game. If anything, he’s played better.”

Through 19 games Hamonic, a second-round pick by the Islanders in 2008, has three assists and leads the team with 23:20 of ice time per game.

Like many players, Hamonic has used hockey in a cathartic way as he’s gone through this personal matter. Stepping onto the ice for practice or a game allows him to focus on hockey and not worry about what’s going on at home for a few hours.

The Islanders and Hamonic won’t let this become a distraction going forward and given his play, until Snow executes a trade the blue liner will remain a key piece of the team as they push for another playoff spot.

“I’m still a teammate and I’m still someone that wants to play hard and wants to win,” Hamonic said. “That’s never going to get lost in this process whatsoever.

“I’m going to go out there and play as hard as I can until I’m told otherwise because that’s my job and that’s what I want to do.”

- - - - - - -

Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY: