EVERETT – It’s not often a debilitating illness proves a boon to a hockey player’s career.
But for Everett Silvertips center Zach Hamill, illness provided just that spark.
Hamill’s time on the sidelines because of mononucleosis proved an epiphany for the 17-year-old, and since returning he’s been better than ever.
Elizabeth Armstrong / The Herald
“To be out for two months and come back like that, it takes a lot of heart and a lot of character,” linemate John Lammers said. “He’s a character kid.”
Since day one Hamill, as the team’s first-ever Bantam Draft selection, was viewed as the cornerstone of the franchise’s future. He gave a glimpse of his potential as a 15-year-old, tallying three goals and two assists in 20 playoff games. He followed that up with a solid, if unspectacular, rookie season, registering eight goals and 25 assists in 57 games.
At the beginning of this season Hamill, now a seasoned 17-year-old, took another step forward with his production, scoring 17 points in Everett’s first 18 games. However, he had yet to emerge as a dominating offensive force.
Then what appeared to be disaster struck. Hamill’s season was derailed when he was diagnosed with mononucleosis during Everett’s road trip through the Central Division in early November. Hamill was sent home to recover, missing 18 games over a period of nearly two months.
“Any time you take hockey away from a guy like Zach it’s going to hurt him a lot,” Lammers said. “I was rooming with him when he got sick and you could tell that it hurt him a lot and he didn’t want to accept he had mono.”
Said Hamill: “I was used to coming to (the Everett Events Center) all the time, and being home listening to the games wasn’t fun. It was something I didn’t want to do and unfortunately it happened.”
But while the ice was temporarily taken away from Hamill, it also gave him an opportunity to stop and think.
“I realized I had to work hard on and off the ice,” Hamill said. “I can’t just play games anymore, I’ve got to work hard off the ice, too. I can’t just come out there and hope I can play well, I’ve got to work hard with my linemates.”
Toward that goal, Hamill did his best to remain in shape despite the mono. He worked out throughout the Christmas break in an effort to hit the ground running when he did return.
And boy, did Hamill do just that. He scored a goal inside 10 minutes of his return and scored twice in his first period back.
Hamill’s timing couldn’t have been any better as his return offset the loss of fellow playmaker Peter Mueller to the World Junior Hockey Championships. With Hamill pulling the strings, Everett went 3-1-1-0 in Mueller’s absence.
“Zach came back with quite a bit of energy,” Everett coach Kevin Constantine said. “When he came back he got a ton of points and our power play just caught fire, so we think he’s done a really good job.
“Thank God that Zach coming back from mono coincided with Mueller’s leaving for the World Junior Tournament.”
Since then Hamill has continued his increased production. With an accurate wrist shot, visionary passing and greater willingness to go to the net, he’s tallied at least one point in nine of his 11 games since returning, registering 17 points (nine goals, eight assists). He’s climbed to fourth on the team in scoring with 34 points, despite the long layoff.
Hamill credits his dedication to hard work for the increased scoring.
“I think I’ve been working a lot harder,” Hamill said. “I just knew I didn’t have a lot of games left and I had to get going if I wanted to help my team win hockey games. We had a lot of guys gone because of injuries and the World Juniors and guys needed to step up. I was fortunate enough to work hard with my linemates and things happened.”
Hamill’s hard work is something his linemates appreciate.
“I think he took it upon himself and had a lot to prove to other people,” Lammers said. “He didn’t get a lot of games at the beginning of the season because he was sick, so I think a lot of it came from watching. I think he probably learned a lot from watching from the stands and it brought a lot to his game.
“He’s been unbelievable,” Lammers continued. “His point production has been better and I think he just came back with a real focus and a real desire to do as good as he can every night.”
And now he’s been doing it better than ever.
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