Hockey world mourns the tragic death of 33 year old forward

The hockey world today is mourning the passing of 31 year old forward Mike Hammond after he died in a tragic vehicle accident in his hometown of Shawnigan Lake on Vancouver Island, BC.

While Hammond was a born and bred Canadian who grew up playing hockey on Vancouver Island, he was a star player on Great Britain's national team. 

"Great Britain ice hockey are devastated to announce that forward Mike Hammond has passed away," a statement from Ice Hockey UK reads. "Mike was a cherished GB teammate, loved by so many, and very much part of the Great Britain family."

Hammond made his debut in the UK in 2018 following a junior career in the BCHL, a college career with Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario and a brief pro career in the ECHL. He helped the British national team win a gold medal in Division 1 of the IIHF World Championships and would go on to be a star player in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). In his final game for the British national team he scored a goal and two assists to help clinch a 5-3 victory over Italy and spot in the IIHF's top division next season. It's not an understatement to say that Hammond played a huge role in getting Great Britain back onto the big stage for the first time since 1994. While he may not be well known internationally, he was a star player in the British hockey world.

He played last season for the Nottingham Panthers, putting up 13 goals and 38 points in 51 games played.

"The Panthers would like to send our thoughts to Mike's family and friends at this very difficult time," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts too are with all his former teammates and everyone at the club is thinking of Hammy and his family right now."

RCMP and the BC Coroners Service have confirmed that Hammond died instantly in a single vehicle crash when his black Porsche Boxster veered off the road and struck a tree early Wednesday morning at about 5:30am local time.