Graduating Profile: Hammett Brought Stability, Leadership to Giants
This week, the Vancouver Giants will look back on the junior careers of their three overage players with a written profile on each one, releasing a story every other day in alphabetical order. Today, we begin by highlighting defenceman Logen Hammett. On Wednesday, we will highlight goaltender Brett Mirwald. On Friday, we will finish with a profile on defenceman Wyatt Wilson.
It wasn’t lost on the three Giants’ 20-year-olds this season that the trio all hailed from the Prairies.
In fact, it was something they were all proud of, according to Logen Hammett, who was born and raised in Regina.
“We definitely talked about that. It’s actually pretty cool that we’re all from Saskatchewan,” Hammett said. “I think that made it easier for us to relate to certain things when we’re out here. The weather first of all, but there’s just a lot of things that we could talk about and have a good chuckle over.”
Hammett, who turned 21 earlier this month, was a standout defenceman for his hometown Regina Pat Canadians before making the jump to junior with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
In the 2019-20 season, he and Giants teammate Kyren Gronick both had strong seasons for the Pat C’s. Hammett led all defencemen in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League (SMAAAHL) in scoring that season with 50 points, while Gronick with 49 points in 38 games. Fellow Giants overagers Brett Mirwald and Wyatt Wilson grew up in different cities in Saskatchewan, but also played in the SMAAAHL: Mirwald for the Saskatoon Blazers and Wilson, who’s from Swift Current, for the Moose Jaw U18 Warriors.
Although Hammett, Wilson, Mirwald and Gronick were only junior teammates for less than one full season, the four were certainly all close, forming a tight bond with one another.
“A lot of the Sask guys, we stick together,” Wilson said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic ended the 2019-20 season prematurely, it meant the start to Hammett’s junior career would be a bit unusual, as his first WHL season would be played in the ‘bubble’ in Regina, where all seven East Division teams, including Brandon, played 24 games at the Brandt Centre, beginning in March of 2021.
“All the teams were staying at the University of Regina, which is actually where I live. So I was staying in a university dorm 20 minutes from my house for two months,” Hammett recalled of his rookie season. “It sounded bad at first, but I think I had one of the best times there, being around the guys that often. It helped that we had a good group of guys that year, so I actually had fun. Some people might have different takes on it, but I thought it was a great time.”
*Dj Khaled voice* "Another one"@LogenHammett's notches his first career WHL goal for the @bdnwheatkings! pic.twitter.com/KenVRxZtTo
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 24, 2021
The Wheat Kings finished first in the East Division bubble with an 18-4-2 record, making Hammett’s rookie season a highlight of his junior career.
Funny enough, Hammett’s first career WHL goal was scored on Mirwald in the bubble, in a game where Mirwald had come in relief after Boston Bilous allowed four goals on six shots. Brandon won the game 8-2.
“I remember the bubble quite well because we had a really good team and we won, so just a good accomplishment,” Hammett said when asked what he remembers most of his junior career. “I remember that and then a couple of the road trips were always fun. Spending time with the guys on the bus. And last year our B.C. road trip, coming here, was awesome. Then this year, our road trip back home was pretty nice too.”
After 144 games played for the Wheat Kings – the team that drafted him in 2018 in the fifth round – he was acquired by the Giants in May of 2023 in exchange for a fourth-round pick.
In acquiring Hammett at a fairly low cost last summer, the hope was to stabilize a young defence core by adding someone who could eat up minutes and provide leadership.
It’s safe to say both of those boxes were checked off.
“He quickly grew into one of our favourite players on the team, with what he did on the back end with our younger players,” Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros said. “He was a steady, physical, two-way hockey player. His maturity in the way he conducted himself on and off the ice was a great benefit for our younger players because they got to see what type of success they can have in this league if you put the time and effort in with a great attitude.”
Hammett’s offensive numbers won’t jump off the page, but he did post career highs this season in goals (8) and points (20). He even had an incredible five-point outing on March 16 in a 9-2 win over Kamloops.
“I guess you remember a lot of the goals you score, especially as a defenseman you don’t score too many – well for myself at least,” Hammett joked.
More important than setting career highs in points or having a five-point game was the fact that Hammett got better as the season went on and was a big reason for the Giants second-half surge, where the club went 19-11-2 in the 2024 calendar year.
The left-shot blueliner contributed 13 points in the final 21 games of the regular season, including five goals. In the midst of that stretch in February, Hammett scored three game-winning-goals. One was against Prince George on February 2, the top team in the Western Conference, and one was against Portland on February 16, the second-ranked team in the West.
But it was Hammett’s play in the post-season that stood out to General Manager Barclay Parneta.
“With Wilson and Hammett, their games really grew into what we needed,” Parneta said. “They played big minutes in the playoffs and they really stepped their game up to help stabilize things.
“They bled for the Giants in the playoff series and they didn’t want it to end. If nothing else, I think [our] young guys, it made them realize that this is quick and it can be over just like that, so make the best of every day that you have.”
Hammett led all Giants players in ice-time in the playoffs, averaging over 26 minutes per game. In the regular season, he was second, averaging 23:59. He was also a massive part of the penalty kill, which ranked 7th in the WHL. Hammett led Vancouver in shorthanded ice-time per game, averaging 3:47 per contest.
It was many of those reasons – his off-ice leadership, his play in all situations, his clutch second-half goals and his lay it all on the line attitude – that led to Hammett being named the Giants Unsung Hero for the 2023-24 season.
“Huge, huge leader,” Wilson said when asked what comes to mind when he hears the name ‘Logen Hammett’. “Obviously a great defenceman, but in the room, he keeps the group level-headed. Lots of leadership and just a great guy to have around.”
“An extremely nice kid who will do anything,” Mirwald added. “Always there for you and very hardworking.”
Hammett finished his WHL career with 57 points (12G-45A) in 211 regular season games and admits that time has certainly flown by.
When asked what advice he would give his younger self, he said to just enjoy it.
“Obviously you hear that a lot, but it goes by pretty quick,” Hammett said. “Don’t let the little things get to you. Just keep on playing, keep on working.”
As for what’s next, Hammett said using WHL Scholarship to attend a post-secondary institution of his choice is the most likely route.
“You can either go school or trying to turn pro and I think school is a big option for me,” he said.
Where he chooses to attend remains to be seen, at least for now, but one thing is clear: whichever USports team gets Hammett will surely benefit greatly.