Kitchener, Ont. – The Kitchener Rangers announced today that the Ottawa Senators, in conjunction with Tappara (Liiga), will have Czech defenceman Tomáš Hamara (pronounced toe-mosh, hom-uh-ruh) play in Kitchener and that Hamara has committed to an OHL Standard Player Agreement and education package with the club.
“It is very exciting to welcome Tomáš to our club,” said Kitchener Rangers General Manager Mike McKenzie. “Tomáš will be a huge addition to our back end. His puck moving ability and poise with the puck will be a huge asset to our team. We are thankful the Ottawa Senators have put trust in our program to help Tomáš develop on-and-off the ice so he is ready to make a smooth transition to professional hockey when that time comes.”
Hamara comes to Kitchener after recently signing a three-year NHL entry level contract with the Ottawa Senators after being drafted by Ottawa in the third round (87th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft this past July. A six-foot, 185-pound, left-shot defenceman, Hamara is a native of Prague, Czech Republic and spent last season in Tampere, Finland playing in both the Finland’s premiere junior hockey league and their top men’s professional hockey league.
“It’s a great thing to get to play in Kitchener and I’m so excited to get things going,” said Hamara. “The OHL is a league with a lot of games and everyone that has played there all tell me it’s perfect for development. I’ve heard only positive things about the Rangers and that they are a top organization that does things the right way.”
He recorded 25 points (6G, 19A), including a plus-5 rating, in 32 games for Tappara in the U20 SM-sarja (Under-20 Finnish Championship Series), which is the premier junior hockey league in Finland. As a 17-year-old, Hamara impressively played in 24 professional games, recording two points and a plus-2 rating, for Tappara in Liiga (Finnish Elite League), the top men’s professional hockey league in Finland. A champion this season, Hamara was a member of Tappara’s professional team when the Battle Axe clinched the 2021-22 Liiga championship.
On the international level, Hamara played for the Czech Republic men’s national ice hockey team in the 2022 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior Championships this month. He also recorded eight points in six games for Czechia in the 2022 IIHF World Under-18 Championships this past April and May in Germany. Hamara, now 18, was one of just two defencemen to be named to the tournament All-Star Team and earned the ‘Most Assists by a Defenceman’ award.
Hamara was selected by Kitchener in the first round (26th overall) of the 2022 CHL Import Draft on Jul. 1 and will wear number nine for the Rangers.
For more information, visit kitchenerrangers.com.
