Senators goalie Andrew Hammond's winning streak began with Vernon Vipers, says ex-teammate

As Ottawa Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond prepares to take to the ice against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, we spoke to Kevin Krause, who played junior hockey with the rising star.

Nicknamed 'The Hamburglar' for "stealing" wins, Hammond recently matched a record set by Boston Bruins goaltender Frank Brimsek in 1939, letting in no more than two goals per game for his first 12 starts of the season.

Krause said not much has changed since the player's humble beginnings at B.C.'s Vernon Vipers.

"Honestly, you couldn't get the puck by him, and it started from day one," said Kevin Krause, who played with Hammond for the Vipers from 2007 to 2009.

Hammond's streak ended on Thursday when he let in four goals against the Bruins, but he still scored up a 13th straight win, with the Senators triumphing 6-4 at the final whistle.

• Andrew Hammond: Player Profile
• Andrew 'The Hamburglar' Hammond: 5 things to know
• Andrew Hammond wins again, leads Senators past Bruins

Hammond's accomplishments are nothing new. In 2009, he helped the Vipers win the Royal Bank Cup National Junior "A" Championship with a 2-0 shutout in the final game.

"He gave us the confidence that we could go out there and try different things knowing that if we made a mistake, he was back there and was probably going to stop the puck," said Kraus.

Krause, now an assistant coach with the Vipers, is enjoying watching Hammond's NHL career.

"It's pretty neat to see him embracing all this attention that he's getting now...I think in junior I don't think he had as much personality as he does in the NHL.

"With his nickname, The Hamburglar, you can kind of see him smiling behind his mask all the time, especially after the game, when they start throwing cheeseburgers on the ice."

To hear the full interview with Kevin Krause, click the audio labelled: Kevin Krause cheers on former teammate Andrew Hammond.