Absolutely loved Hjammer. Three things stick out to me thinking back on his time with the Hawks:
1) He could absolutely hammer, no pun intended, guys, but only did so very rarely. I seem to remember one hit against Buffalo early in his career, for which I think he was suspended, where he absolutely laid the guy out. After that suspension, it seemed like he rarely threw many big hits. Part of me wishes he did it more. Part of me wonders if not going after the big hit is part of what transformed him into such an excellent stick on puck defender.
2) Amazing improvement over his career on his confidence with the puck and first pass. He was frustrating early on in his career in how he would just chip the puck out at every opportunity. His improvement in that area was impressive, as by the time he left us he was above average at holding onto the puck long enough to allow for controlled breakout passes.
3) Best "one handed stick lifter" I have ever seen. Seems like a pretty obscure skill, but the ability for a defenceman to lift an opponents stick and disrupt the puck with only one hand on his stick is a really valuable skill. Allows to defend a much bigger space and forces opponents to adjust.
