Everything you ever wanted to know about DAN HAMHUIS.... ALMOST 128 FACTS, INFO, TIDBITS...

I saw this on the Vancouver Canucks website today... I must admit I haven't read all of it yet, but I find it pretty interesting to read, his Christian faith is very interwoven into who he is and into these 128 facts:

• Born on born December 13, 1982.
  
  
• His name is pronounced Ham-hyoose.
  
  
• From Smithers, B.C. population 6,000.
  
  
• Son of Marty, a Coca-Cola Salesman, and Ida.
  
  
• He has an Uncle, Herm Hamhuis who is a businessman in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. He listens to Dan's games online.
  
  
• Has two sisters, Cindy 23, a ski insructor and Erin, 26.
  
  
• He started playing hockey at the age of four, and his father coached him for 8 years of minor hockey.
  
  
• Hamhuis couldn't play street hockey outside his house because their was no pavement on the road. So he played in his basement until age 9, in 1991 when they paved the road.
  
  
• Hamhuis attended Bulkley Valley Christian School in Smithers, a school with a enrolment of about 100 and the same one where his parents, Marty and Ida, had been educated.
  
  
  
• He is a devout Christian, and practices his faith openly. His family attends Smithers Christian Reform Church.
  
  
• Growing up, he played Minor Hockey in Smithers, and made it a goal to play Junior A for the Prince Spruce Kings.
  
  
• At 14, he suffered a broken leg the night before the big tournament where WHL scouts were, but battled back and returned the next season.
  
  
• He was never slected in the WHL Bantam draft. Hamhuis says he never noticed: "It came and went, nobody said anything. Nobody knew anything about it. I didn't care...I didn't even know what the [WHL] bantam draft was -- I just played the game."
  
  
• In Bantam, he played Single "A." But when his team went to a bantam AAA tournament in Prince George, the WHL's Cougars noticed him hastily added him to their protected list in January, 1998.
  
  
• As a Bantam player, he put up 131 points in 59 games.
  
  
• Hamhuis went to the September 1998 Cougars' WHL camp for the experience the next season and then attended the BCHL Prince George Spruce Kings camp as insurance. He impressed the Cougars so much though, that he did the impossible...he moved from Single "A" Bantam to Major Junior as a defenceman in one season as a 15 year old.
  
  JUNIOR HOCKEY
  
  
• Hamhuis wore number 5 in Junior, and rumour is that it will be retired in Prince George soon.
  
  
• As a Christian, he says he "publicly professed my faith when I was 15, the summer before I left to play junior hockey."
  
  
• When he moved to Prince George to play Junior Hockey his parents requested a Christian family for him to billet with. He said of being a Christian athlete: "The guys I play with in Prince George are really supportive of that. Everyone's kind of interested in it, too. It's fun to explain it to them. It's fun for them, too." His parents said dropping him off to his billet family's home in Prince George was a difficult night for them.
  
  
• His first year, despite moving to a new town and a new school, he adapted well, cracking the lineup for 56 games in the 1998-99 season, scoring 1 goal. In the playoffs against Seattle, the Cougars suffered key injuries to D-men Garry Toor and Jeff Zorn. Hamhuis logged plent of minutes as a 16-year old in the top 4 and really shined.
  
  
• He was named the Prince George Cougars Rookie of the Year and All-Scholastic Player for his strong performance in school his rookie season.
  
  
• Sometimes, his faith was challenged off the ice. He said "My faith was challenged, and I found out the importance of what Christian family and friends can mean in staying close to the Lord," says Hamhuis. "Trying to fit in with (teammates) was one of the hardest things to do; you want to be cool so you want to go to parties and have fun. But then I realized they would respect me more for standing up in what I believe, and I was right."
  
  
  
• Hamhuis spent the offseason after his rookie year at home in Smithers, and found out many of the townsfolk followed his progress closely the last year. The shy teen was even included as a celebrity in a golf event at the Smithers Golf and Country Club.
  
  
• He spent much of the offseason in the gym, doing plyometrics and working on leg strength in particular.
  
  
• He later signed with Vancouver-based agent Ross Gurney of R.W.G. Sport Management Ltd who has made a niche representing high-profile prospects from B.C. such as Canuck draft pick Taylor Ellington, Kyle Beach, and Zach Hamill.
  
  
• The following season, in 1999–2000, he improved to 10 goals and 33 points in 70 games. He had told the local paper that 10 goals was his personal goal for the season during training camp. He also helped Prince George advance to the Conference Finals of the 2000 playoffs, scoring two goals and five points in a junior career-high of 13 post-season games.
  
  
• As a Junior, he fought Jordin Tootoo, who would end up being a teammate in Nashville.
  
  
• He ended up living with his aunt and Uncle while playing for the Cougars.
  
  
• His parents and younger sisters drove 4 hours to almost every game in Prince George.
  
  
• In 2000, he again won the team's All-Scholastic honour for good grades. While in school in Prince George, he met his future wife, Sarah Griffen.
  
  
• In the Summer of 2000, Hamhuis was back in Prince George, finishing up some high school classes when he heard on the radio that he was invited to tryout for Canada's National World Junior Team that Summer. He "nearly hit the ditch driving to school when I heard it on the radio." "I'm just shocked," said Hamhuis, who wasn't even eligible to be drafted until the next summer. "I'd been told there was a chance, but not to get my hopes up. It caught me by surprise, but I'm really excited and right away I started thinking about all the things I have to do to be ready. It took awhile before it sunk in that I made the WHL, but this is a whole new step. If I show up in shape and do well, who knows what will happen."
  
  
  
• In 2001, Hamhuis had a good offensive year with 13 goals and 59 points over 62 games.
  
  
• In December 2000, he was invited to World Junior tryouts. He was late getting their, along with another player, Jay Bouwmeester, as their plane had icing problems. He roomed with Luke Sellars at the camp. There were 11 othe d-men vying for 7 spots. The day after arriving, Hamhuis took part in a morning skate and then dressed in a scrimmage. He didn't record a point and was minus-1. He said "It's tough playing on the larger ice surface, with no red line and the quick forwards. Everyone is so fast, you can't take a split-second off. It wasn't very physical because a lot of guys had trouble getting used to the big ice surface."
  
  
  
• After some exhibition games and 4 days of tryouts, Hamhuis heard the phone ring before the crack of dawn Monday morning in his hotel room. Knowing the Team Canada tradition that early morning phone calls generally come from a coach delivering bad news, Hamhuis froze for an instant. Luckily, the call was for his room-mate. It turns out, Hamhuis had made the team and was heading for Russia. That same day, Hamhuis, who had never travelled overseas set off for Sweden with the team for an exhibition game.
  
  
• Marty Hamhuis, Dan's father, was in Toronto for the Team Canada camp and watched all the action with Dan's agent, Ross Gurney. Marty returned to Smithers once the team left for Europe. "Dan just went out there and played his game -- he didn't do anything outstanding," said Marty, who called himself "Dan's greatest supporter but also his No. 1 critic.""The forwards all know what they're doing, so he wasn't going to catch anyone with their heads down and get them with a hip check. He had a couple of guys lined up for it, then he realized (on the Olympic-sized ice surface) that the boards were still 15 feet away. Everyone said this was the least amount of hitting for a prep camp. It was pond hockey. I was sitting up in the stands and saw all the wrong things he did out there, but I wasn't watching the mistakes others were making. I had him coming home with me on the plane on Friday," Marty laughed.
  
  
• His mother said, "I'm actually relieved now. It was so tense for a few days when the cuts were happening, and there were a few nights where I didn't sleep."
  
  
• Tyler Bouck, a former Canuck who was with the Dallas Stars then, called the Hamhuis family to congratulate them as he was a former Cougar Captain.
  
  
• Hamhuis making the team was big news in Smithers. "I went to go out and do my job (Tuesday) and I had a hard time doing it because everyone in Smithers wanted to stop and talk to me for 15 minutes," said his dad.
  
  
• Hamhuis started his international hockey career off in style, picking up two assists in Team Canada's 6-4 exhibition win over Sweden in Stockholm. Both came 17 seconds apart...one off a goal by Jamie Lundmark and one by former Canuck Brandon Reid.
  
  
  
• He found Europe a little different. He said "It's really different here in Sweden. It's tough when you go into a grocery store and you're not sure if you're buying a juice or an alcoholic beverage, because you can't read the label. I had to check out all the Coke labels for my dad (Marty, who worked for Coca-Cola in Smithers)." About Russia he said: "The culture is different and the food is different. We haven't had a chance to see many of the historic sites around here, but we're supposed to go Saturday to see Red Square and The Kremlin."
  
  
  
• In a tough game against the home team Russians at Luzhniki Minor Sports Arena in Moscow, Hamhuis had a tough assignment: stop Russian superstar Ilya Kovalchuk. Canada lost 3-1 but Hamhuis got rave reviews for his play. "I had to play against him all night on the right side, and it was fun for the challenge. I think it turned out well for us," said Hamhuis, who thought Kovalchuk's pre-goal celebration on the game's final goal, with 100 feet of open ice and an empty net staring at him, was "classless." "In a game like that one, he didn't need to do that. We didn't like it very much, and we'll remember that."
  
  
  
• Before the game, fans from Prince George sent him a signed good luck telegram: "I unrolled the whole thing and read it, every name. It was crazy - I was amazed. I was only halfway through the first roll and I was in awe of all the people who signed their name on it. It makes you play a little harder with all the people back home who care so much about this."
  
  
  
• When Canada played Russia for a second time, they won 5-2, but it was a dirty game. Hamhuis left the game at 10:07 of the third period when he was hit from behind into the boards by Andrei Taratukhin, leaving him with a bruised left shoulder. Taratukhin received a major penalty and game misconduct. X-rays on Hamhuis were negative and he would not return for the next game...which Canada lost without him. Hamhuis called it a dirty hit. "I didn't see it coming. It was a tough position, just a few feet away from the boards when I was hit," said Hamhuis, who leveled Russia's Stanislav Tchistov with a patented open-ice hit earlier in the game. I didn't see it coming, and I didn't have my head down, so I guess you could call that dirty."
  
  
  
• Hamhuis also battled food poisoning during the tournament.
  
  
• Hamhuis helped Canada win the Bronze that year, and was on the ice for Raffi Torres Bronze winning goal. "We were so happy we won, and it was a great feeling to hear the national anthem played," said Hamhuis. He took a week off after the tournament, went home to Smithers and had a belated Chistmas dinner with his family, went hiking and rested his mind from hockey.
  
  
• When he came home with his medal, the town greeted him with a message of congratulations at the local A&W restaurant. "It's kind of weird to see your name up like that," he said.
  
  
• Hamhuis won the awad for the Cougars' Most Dedicated Player for his community involvement and was named to the WHL West First All-Star Team. Playing in his NHL draft-eligible season, he also participated in the 2001 CHL Top Prospects Game where he was Captain of "Team Orr." He also played for the West all- stars against the QMJHL's Dilio Division in Kamloops.
  
  
• Hamhuis volunteered for Child Find BC and other local organizations, and was Prince George's nominee for WHL 2001 Humanitarian of the Year. He also spoke at local Elementary schools about setting goals.
  
  NHL DRAFT
• In 2001, Hamhuis was ranked second to Jason Spezza by NHL Central Scouting among North American prospects for the draft. "He delivers checks that people on the receiving end would certainly think came from a larger man," said one NHL scout. Canadian Hockey Association director of scouting Barry Trapp compared Hamhuis to Ottawa defenceman Wade Redden.
  
  
  
• Hamhuis' family flew from Smithers to Vancouver in a plane so small, he joked, that the seats were window and aisle seats at the same time. He brought his parents, sisters, girlfriend and 2 uncles with him to Florida for the draft.
  
  
• The teams most interested in Hamhuis were Vancouver, Nashville and Chicago. He was interviewed by all teams and found the attention overwhelming. The speculation was over who would be the first d-man taken, him or Mike Komisarek?
  
  
  
• He said: "Coming from Smithers, I had no idea. We don't hear from anybody that goes through all this stuff. Just to experience it firsthand without any preknowledge, it's really exciting. A lot of fun....I'm not much of a guy for the spotlight," said the soft-spoken Hamhuis, who, with the other prospects, has been paraded around the continent for the past month. Just to be where I am now, I never expected this at all."
  
  
• The Montreal Canadiens took Komisarek with the 7th pick, and Hamhuis was the 2nd d-man drafted at 12th overall by the Nashville Predators.
  
  
• After being drafted, Hamhuis attended Nashville training camp as a rookie, but on September 19th 2001 was cut and sent back to Junior.
  
  CHL'S BEST
• Hamhis had a terrific Junior season in 2001-02, averaging about 40 minutes a game for the Cougars with 50 assists and 10 goals in 59 games. He had five assists in seven playoff games.
  
  
  
• In 2002, he returned for a 2nd straight World Junior Championship. Other returnees on that team were Jay Bouwmeester, Brad Boyes, Mike Cammalleri, jay Harrison, Steve Ott, Mark Popovic and Jarret Stoll. They ended up earning Silver after losing to Russia in the Czech Republic.
  
  
• At his first home game since coming back from the World Juniors, January 20th 2002 against the Red Deer Rebels, Cougars Assistant General Manager, Dallas Thompson presented Dan with an exclusive Stuart Antonenko Relief Carving in front of 6000 fans congratulating Dan with a standing ovation. Prince George Mayor Colin Kinsley, was on hand to congratulate Dan on behalf of the City with a print of the three local bridges done by local artists.
  
  
  
• On May 22nd 2002, Hamhuis was chosen over fellow nominees Erik Reitz of the Barrie Colts and Danny Groulx of the Victoriaville Tigres as the Canadian Hockey League's defenceman of the year .
  
  
• Hamhuis was the Western Hockey League's player of the year for 2002 and was also a nominee for the 2002 Nike/Bauer CHL player of the year which went to Pierre-Marc Bouchard of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Hamhuis was also a First Team CHL All-Star and WHL Western Conference First Team All-Star.
  
  
• He finished his Junior Career as the Cougars' all-time assist leader (123). He also served as their team Captain.
  
  
  TURNING PRO
  
  
• The Summer of 2002, Hamhuis worked out in Vancouver, and got to work out with one of his favorite NHL Players, Trevor Linden. He said at the time: "Being a B.C. guy, I was always a big fan of the Canucks, and still am."
  
  
• Hamhuis went to Nasvhille from July 8-14 2002 where he attended their prospects camp at the Centennial Sportsplex. Hamhuis signed his first pro contract with the Predators on Juy 7th 2002. Hamhuis lasted for the entirety of training camp, but on October 3rd 2002, just before the season started, he was assigned to Milwaukee of the AHL.
  
  
  
• While playing in the AHL at the age of 20, he had a spiritual awakening. He says " I was part of a group of older teenage guys, and we all succumbed to a lot of the pressures and temptations of being on our own and away from our parents for the first time. For me, I knew what was right, but it was so easy to do what was wrong. By God's grace, I managed to make it through those years with Christ still being a part of my life, but not the most significant part. When I was 20 years old, I went through a deeper spiritual transition."
  
  
• At the time, when he was with the AHL's Admirals, he would attend a team Chapel led by a team Chaplain. He says "He taught us about being bold and stepping out in our faith. It was a real eye-opener for me and my faith in Christ, which developed into a deeper, personal relationship that year. It was difficult being away from my family and friends, but I knew God was there. I felt His presence during a time when it would have been easy to feel more alone than ever."
  
  
• In November of 2002, Hamhuis was suspended 3 games for an elbow to the head of Utah Forward Barrett Heisten who suffered a concussion.
  
  
• Hamhuis scored six goals and 27 points over 68 games in his first pro season with the Admirals (2002-03).
  
  
• Over the course of the next year, the Predators lost Andy Delmore, Karlis Skrastins, Cale Hulse and Bill Houlder on their defense. This made room for Hamhuis to make the team. In their 2003 season preview, Sports Ilustrated called him "...a can't-miss player on the blueline."
  
  
  GOING TO THE NHL
  
  
• Hamhuis made it to the NHL for the 2003-04 season, and tallied seven goals and 26 points over 82 games with Predators in 2003–04.
  
  
• He played his first NHL game Oct 9th, 2003 against the Anaheim Ducks.
  
  
• Hamhuis scored his first NHL goal on October 16th 2003, beating the Blues' Chris Osgood. It was the winner in a 4-1 Preds win.
  
  
• A month later, he had his first career fight against Brenden Morrow.
  
  
• Hamhuis went to the NHL YoungStars game at the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota in February 2004. His defence partner for the Western team was Christian Ehrhoff of the San Jose Sharks. The West won 7-3.
  
  
• At the end of his rookie year he was tied for fourth in point-scoring and second in average ice time among the NHL's rookie defencemen, including a five-point (1g-4a) night on March 4th versus Pittsburgh.
  
  
  LOCKOUT SEASON
  
  
• During the Summer of 2004, Dan returned to Prince George in the offseason and visited with the Jenkins family, the billet family of one of his ex-teammates, Jonathan Filewich. Hamhuis and Filewich would Skidoo all the time as teenagers on the family's vast property. Hamhuis asked them if he and his fiancee, Sarah Griffen could get married on their back hayfield that Summer. They allowed them to have a beautiful wedding. In the Summer of 2009, Hamhuis and Sarah brought their baby Anna and stayed overnight with the Jenkins family.
  
  
• Heading into training camp after his wedding, he said that being married would help his game: "It will make things better. It's so nice to come home after practice and have someone there for you."
  
  
• As Dan prepared for his 2nd season, the NHL lockout came. Dan headed to Milwaukee for his 2nd AHL season for 2004-05.
• Hamhuis had a monster AHL season, scoring 13 goals and 51 points in 76 games and was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team. "Coaches dream about having players like Dan on their team," noted Admirals Head Coach Claude Noel. "His game is complete. Some players are good offensively, some are good defensively, but Dan excels at both areas. He can play anywhere on the ice."
  
  
• In February, Hamhuis went to the 2005 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire.
  
  
• His AHL coach, Claude Noel, is now the head coach of the Canucks affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.
  
  
• Hamhuis was 2nd in scoring among AHL d-men in 2005.
  
  
• With the NHL set to resume in 2005–06, the Predators re-signed Hamhuis to a one-year contract on August 16, 2005.
  
  
  BREAKOUT YEAR
  
  
• In 2005-06, Hamhuis was back in the league as the lockout ended. He went on to record a career-high seven goals, 31 assists and 38 points in 82 games. He led Nashville in average ice time (22:33) in 2005-06 and was one of two Predators to skate in all 82 games.
  
  
• With the Predators out of the playoffs in 5 games, Hamhuis got the call from Team Canada, and went to the World Hockey Championships in Riga, Latvia from May 5th to May 21st. Canada finished fourth, but Hamhuis managed 5 points in 9 games. He lead all Canadian d-men in scoring.
  
  
• In 2006–07, Hamhuis held out the early part of training camp as his agent hammered out a new deal with Nashville. He would earn $1.5 million that season, $1.75 million in 2007-08, $2.25 million in 2008-09 and $2.5 million in 2009-10.
  
  
• He had six goals and 20 points in 81 games for Nashville in 06-07. He also has his 2nd career fight against Brent Seabrook of the Blackhawks.
  
  
• With the Predators going out in 5 games to the San Jose Sharks, Team Canada's general manager Steve Yzerman picked Hamhuis and his teammate Shea Weber to play for Canada at the World Championships in Russia.
  
  
• In May 2007, the Canadian team won a Gold Medal with Hamhuis playing on the point.
  
  
• Hamhuis was also named, at age 24, the Predators' player representative to the NHLPA. At an August 2007 NHLPA meeting, he joked that he first thought his main job as player rep was to hand out the NHLPA hats at the beginning of the season.
  
  
• In the Summer of 2007, there was talk of the Predators moving from Nashville. One potential new owner wanted to the city to buy unbought tickets so they could average 14,000 fans per game. The city refused. Hamhuis joined with teammate Chris Mason to show his support by buying private suites themselves.
  
  
  
• In the 2007-08 NHL season, Hamhuis had 27 points in 80 games.
  
  
  
• At then end of the season, he was named to his 3rd consecutive World Championship, as Nashville was bounced in the 1st round again. This time, the tournament was in Quebec City, and Canada won silver, losing to Russia in overtime. He and Mike Green were the final 2 players added.
  
  
• In July 2008, Hamhuis' wife Sarah gave birth to their first child, a girl named Anna.
  
  
• In 2008-09, Hamhuis played 82 games and had 26 points. He also had his 3rd career NHL fight against Sean Avery.
  
  
• His consistent 2-way play got him invited to a fourth straight World Championship, this time in Switzerland. Canada lost again to the Russians, earning a Silver, while Hamhuis had 4 points in 9 games. They lost the gold medal game 2-1.
  
  
  BUSY OFFSEASON
  
  
• In the Summer of 2009, he was one of 46 NHL players named to the Canadian Olympic Orientation camp, which ran August 24-27 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary. At the camp, Hamhuis was so excited that he was the first one on the ice for every evening session, several minutes before other players.
  
  
  
• In the Summer of 2009, Hamhuis was part of the 30 man NHLPA Executive Committee that made the decision to fire Executive Director Paul Kelly. In a players' conference call in October, 22-year-old Sydney Crosby firmly told interim executive director Ian Penny to hang up the phone because union members wanted to have a players-only discussion. Penny finally had to relent and get off the line. Later that night, players voted 23-4 to establish a committee consisting of respected veterans Chris Chelios, Rob Blake, Nicklas Lidstrom and Mark Recchi to investigate all the internal shenanigans of the past few months that led to Kelly's ouster. The four players who voted against the committee were Hamhuis , Washington's Brooks Laich, Philadelphia Flyers player rep Scott Hartnell and Carolina's Joe Corvo.
  
  
  
• The vote was a stinging rebuke for Penny who, in the days before the conference call, had circulated a letter from Hamhuis that supported Penny, advisory board member Ron Pink and Hargrove and urged the union to focus on finding a new executive director. "There had been concern from some members of the (executive board) that Ron, Buzz and Ian have overstepped their bounds in their roles, that they won't be able to get along with the next executive director and that they had something to do with an orchestrated attempt to get Paul out," wrote Hamhuis. "I believe these men have acted in the best interest of the NHLPA and warrant our full trust. We are in a difficult time right now at the NHLPA and the easiest thing to do is to blame someone else. Now is the time to be looking forward not back."
  
  
  
• Hamhuis' letter prompted a strong rebuttal from another player rep, Shawn Horcoff of the Edmonton Oilers. Horcoff argued that Penny's contract "violated" the union's constitution because it was done "without being advised of Kelly's objections and concerns and without Kelly even in the room, which is in violation of our constitution."
  
  
  LAST SEASON IN NASHVILLE
  
  
• In the 2009-10 season, there was speculation that Hamhuis could have been named to the 2010 Olympic team. He was not named, however.
  
  
• Hamhuis gave his name/funds to be the presenting sponsor of the Ronald McDonald House "Extraordinary Evening" fundraiser, which brought in more than $50,000.
  
  
• He and his wife Sarah organized a potluck dinner where she and the rest of the wives provided dinner for the families at Ronald McDonald House.
  
  
• In 2009-10, he had his 4th NHL fight against Alex Burrows of the Canucks.
  
  
• In November 2009, Hamhuis initiated the Preds' participation in the "Movember" movement - grew a moustache for a month to raise money and awareness for Prostate & Testicular Cancer.
  
  
• In a game on January 12th 2010 in Vancouver, Alex Burrows was called for diving after he got tied up with Hamhuis in the cornerboards. He was called for interference on a Canucks power play when it looked like he was only getting into position to screen goalie Dan Ellis. After the game, Burrows alleged that referee Stephane Auger was out to get him. "It was personal," fumed Burrows. "It started in warm-up. Before the anthem, the ref came over and said I made him look bad in Nashville on the Smithson hit and he was going to get me back tonight. He got me on a diving call that I didn't think was diving and an interference call. I had no idea how he could call that. It changed the game." Burrows actually has scored 5 goals in 9 games up to that point. He instinctively parked himself behind Hamhuis at the far post and easily tapped the offering past Ellis for his first goal. He then got behind Hamhuis again to deflect an Alex Edler power-play point shot past Ellis to make it 2-2. He nearly deflected a point shot to make it three hat-tricks this season, but ended up having to defend himself against Auger.
  
  
  
• Before the trade deadline, the Predators shipped a second-round 2010 draft pick to Edmonton for veteran UFA defenceman Denis Grebeshkov, 26, fueling speculation that Hamhuis was available. "It's hard to ignore everything that's going on because it [trade speculation] is out there a lot," Hamhuis told The Tennessean newspaper.
  
  
• The Canucks were interested, but Ottawa, Philadelphia, Boston and New Jersey were also kicking the tires on Hamhuis. The Predators reportedly asked for Cody Hodgson in return. The deal was not struck and Hamhuis finished the season in Nashville.
  
  
• Hamhuis wife Sarah gave birth to their second baby girl just before the end of the 2009-10 season.
  
  
  COMING TO VANCOUVER
  
  
• As it became apparent that Hamhuis would not be re-signed by the Predators following the 2009–10 season, his negotiating rights were traded to the Philadelphia Flyers along with a 2011 conditional draft pick for Ryan Parent on June 19, 2010.
  
  
  
• After failing to agree to a contract with Philadelphia, his rights were traded once again to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a 2011 third-round pick on June 25th 2010.
  
  
• Several days prior to his free agency, the Canucks traded for defenceman Keith Ballard from the Florida Panthers, which initially led Hamhuis to believe the Canucks would be no longer interested in him. However, on July 1, the Canucks were one of 10 teams to offer him a contract and he signed with the club despite more lucrative deals of up to $5 million salaries and terms of seven years.
  
  
• On July 1, 2010, Hamhuis became an unrestricted free agent and signed a six-year, $27 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks.
  
  
• Hamhuis says he uses Christianity to focus on hockey. He says "To keep myself in the right mind-set, I read a devotion or Christian literature and pray every night before bed. This keeps me focused and energized to live in a way that pleases God."|
  
  
• Hamhuis would visit patients at Nashville's Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital throughout the season, and would go reverse trick-or-treating dressed up as Winnie the Pooh in 2008 and 2009. Check him out in costume here: http://www.vanderbil...e_bat_baby.jpg.
  
  
  
• He is only the fourth person from Smithers to play in the NHL, along with brothers Jimmy Watson and Joe Watson, and Alan Kerr, a former New York Islander.
  
  
• This past offseason, Hamhuis was back in B.C. helping organize his sister-in-law's wedding when an email arrived asking if any NHLPA hockey players would like to go to Haiti. The father of two young girls initially hesitated, because of the potential dangers involved. But his wife convinced him the trip would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to help people in need. "It's not your everyday trip," said Hamhuis. "This is living in the dirt with a tarp pulled over your head. It takes you out of your comfort zone. But this is a beautiful country too, with the scenery and stuff. But the people are obviously not in the same economic state."
  
  
  
• He went to Haiti with Haitian-Canadian NHLer Georges Laraque. They went as part of a charity project to rebuild Grace Children's Hospital in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Fans can make a donation directly toward the "Hockey for Haiti" effort through www.worldvision.ca/hockey.
  
  
• He trains every Summer with Vancouver-based personal trainer Peter Twist.
  
  
• His nickname is "Hammer."
  
  
• Enjoys camping, hiking and biking in the offseason.
  
  
• In April 2010, he was named the Nashville Predators' nominee for the NHL's King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which recognizes a player with "leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution in his community." The designation came after a vote by the players themselves.
  
  
  
• In Nashville, he and his wife would often drop by St. Luke's Community House or the Ronald McDonald House to do maintenance work or just chat with patients/residents.
  
  
  
• He donated $20,000 in 2009 to the Teammates for Kids Foundation which was routed back to benefit the Nashville Rescue Mission. He and his wife routinely volunteered their time at the Rescue Mission as well.
  
  
  
• Hamhuis is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, speaking to local chapters throughout the season. Brian Pothier is also a member. So is wrestler Kurt Angle.
  
  
  
• While in Nashville, Hamhuis personally purchased 25 gift cards at $100 each during the holidays to give to families in need. He also participated in a photo shoot with U.S. Marines to promote a Toys for Tots toy drive.
  
  
• He also promoted the in-arena recycling program by participating in the PSA which airs every game. PSA encourages fans to recycle cans and plastic.
  
  
• Participates in Prince George Cougar's charity events, where fans can win tickets to fly to a Predators game and meet him.
  
  
• Despite his son making millions, his dad is still the local bottling/vending rep for Coca Cola in Smithers.
  
  
• In Prince George, they used to play a montage of his best hip checks called "The Hammy Hippy Shake" playing the Georgia Satellites' version of the song "Hippy Hippy Shake."
  
  
• He is a former teammate of current Canuck Darcy Hordichuk.