If you’ve followed the Ottawa Senators throughout the years, you’ve seen the goalie carousel spin more than a few times. Sure, names like Craig Anderson, Dominik Hasek, and Patrick Lalime come to mind easily.
But between those longer tenures, the Senators’ crease has been home to a mix of backups, call-ups, and out-of-nowhere folk heroes. Some had short flashes of brilliance. Others just held the fort when no one else could. Either way, they all wore the logo—and gave fans something to talk about, even if only briefly.
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Let’s rewind and take a look at three Ottawa Senators goalies you might have forgotten, but who each, in their own way, left a mark.
Forgotten Senators’ Goalie One: Martin Prusek — Quiet, Reliable, and Criminally Underrated
In the early 2000s, Lalime was the guy in the Senators’ net, but behind him stood a backup who never made waves, rarely made mistakes, and often made the difference: Martin Prusek. The Czech netminder never hogged headlines but he absolutely did his job.
In three seasons with Ottawa, he played in 48 games and posted 28 wins, and in 2003–04, racked up 16. That’s lite support work from a guy who was never expected to be more than a backup. He just came in, stopped pucks, and kept the Sens competitive whenever Lalime needed a break.
And then, just like that, he was gone—back to Europe before the 2004-05 NHL Lockout changed everything. Was he the goalie of the future? No. But for a few years, Prusek was exactly what the team needed: steady, dependable, and totally overlooked.
Forgotten Senators’ Goalie Two: Mike Brodeur — Remember That One Week in 2009? He Sure Does
You could be forgiven for forgetting Mike Brodeur ever played for Ottawa. He only appeared in seven NHL games. However, in 2009, he became somewhat of a legend. The Sens were banged up and needed a stopgap. Brodeur got the call-up from their American Hockey League affiliate, the Binghamton Senators, and to everyone’s surprise, he delivered.
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He won all three of his first starts, gave up just three goals total, and finished with a jaw-dropping 1.00 GAA and .966 save percentage during that stretch. Fans started wondering—jokingly at first—if he could be more than just an emergency fill-in. Could this be another late bloomer with the same last name as the greatest goalie of his era?
Nope. Brodeur was quickly back in the minors and never played another NHL game that season. But those few games were fun, weird, and one of those Senators’ storylines that sticks in your brain if you were watching at the time—a perfect backup story: unexpected, brief, and awesome.
Forgotten Senators’ Goalie Three: Andrew Hammond — The Hamburglar Who Made Ottawa Believe Again
You already know the story, but it’s one that’s always worth telling again. In 2015, Andrew Hammond came out of nowhere and pulled off one of the most unbelievable runs in franchise—and maybe league—history by going 20–1–2 down the stretch. Read that again: 20 wins, one regulation loss. Hammond was calm, dialled in, and had the entire city behind him.
Nicknamed “The Hamburglar” for “stealing” wins, it felt like a Disney movie. But the magic didn’t last. Hammond struggled to maintain form; the Sens eventually moved him to the Colorado Avalanche in the Matt Duchene deal and the moment passed. Still, that illustrious 20–1–2 run wasn’t just fun—it was meaningful. It gave the fanbase something to rally around. For a few months, the “Hamburglar” made hockey in Ottawa feel alive again.
These Goalies Didn’t Stick Around — But Their Stories Did
These three Senators’ goalies weren’t franchise icons. They didn’t lead playoff runs. Most of them didn’t even last more than a season or two. But that’s what makes these goalies so memorable in their own way.
Prusek was the kind of backup every team wants but rarely appreciates until he’s gone. Brodeur gave fans a wild three-game heater no one saw coming. And Hammond? He gave the whole city hope and one of the best underdog stories in modern NHL memory.
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For a team that’s had its ups, downs, and everything in between, these guys played roles that absolutely mattered—even if only for a minute. And for Senators fans who lived through those glorious moments, that’s more than enough to earn these three goalies a spot in the team’s story.
[Note: I’d like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post. His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9]
