RANGERS SPOTLIGHT: Czech defenceman Tomáš Hamara
Written by Nikolas Viveiros
“It’s the best junior league in the world and I couldn’t wait to get started.”
Czechia native Tomas Hamara joined the Rangers in August after spending parts of last season in both the U20 SM-sarja (Finland junior hockey league) and the Liiga (Finish elite league). The six-foot, 185-pound defenceman has impressed head coach Chris Dennis in the first quarter of the season, frequently playing on the team’s first pair alongside Hunter Brzustewicz.
Growing up in Prague, Hamara was born into a hockey family. His father Tomas Sr played pro hockey in Czechia and Germany and looked forward to the opportunity of coaching his son through the ranks.
“I didn’t like it at all when I first started,” joked Hamara. “I would just lie on my back when my father would take me on the ice.”
As the years went on, Hamara’s interest in the game developed. He went from laying on the ice as a child, to leaving Czechia at age 14 to play hockey in Finland. Hamara and his father saw promise in how Finland was developing young players and believed it was a great opportunity to grow his skillset.
“[Being in Kitchener] has been a lot easier than years before as I enjoy spending time with the billet family, compared to Finland where I lived alone,” said Hamara.
After joining Kitchener in the late summer, Hamara headed to Ottawa with teammate Reid Valade to attend the Senators rookie camp. The Sens selected Hamara 87th overall in July’s draft, making him the 4th of 9 Czechia players to be selected.
“Hearing my name called to Ottawa was a dream come true,” said Hamara. “My whole family got to be here together and we had so much fun. Those will be great memories for the rest of my life.”
Getting drafted by the Senators has given him the opportunity to work with Ottawa blueliner, and enjoyed the opportunity to meet him this summer.
“He facetimed me right after the draft,” said Hamara. “I saw him again at camp and we just talked about our summers. It was a great experience.”
With the World Juniors kicking off on the 26th, Hamara will look to add another great experience to his young career. He recently represented Czechia in August during the 2022 installment of the tournament, though he believes having the tournament back in its original time slot will offer more of the experience.
“It wasn’t really the same, so I’m really looking forward to getting the whole experience and seeing all the guys,” said Hamara. “I’m leaving pretty soon, and I’ve definitely started to think about it more and more.”
Since arriving in Kitchener, Hamara has enjoyed everything about the organization and the league’s style of play. Tuesday’s Teddy Bear Toss Game was something he’d never heard of and served as another instance of learning more about the North American game.
“I was looking at some pictures and videos before the game and I couldn’t believe it,” said Hamara. “Just everything from the facilities to our fans has exceeded my expectations. The style of play is also much more offensive, which is a nice difference from what I was used to.”
For Hamara, nothing would make his experience in Kitchener better than winning. The team is currently on a run that features 4 wins in their last 5 games. With lots of hockey left to play, Hamara believes the team still has plenty to show.
“We have to play it day-by-day, as things are starting to look better,” said Hamara. “I want to help the team however I can, and I try to be a leader and an important player every game.”
