Rob Klinkhammer

Robert Klinkhammer (born August 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger. He most recently played for HC Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Klinkhammer has previously played in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, Arizona Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers organizations, making his NHL debut in 2010 with the Blackhawks.

Playing career

Amateur

Klinkhammer began his final season of major junior ice hockey in the Western Hockey League with the Seattle Thunderbirds, playing one game with the team before moving to finish his junior career with the Portland Winter Hawks and Brandon Wheat Kings, notching a junior career-best 33 goals, 40 assists for 73 points in 66 combined games. In 11 post-season games with Brandon, he had eight points after the Wheat Kings won the WHL's East Division Title.

Professional

Klinkhammer played his first professional season in 2007–08 with the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL). He made his professional debut on October 19, 2007, against the Binghamton Senators, providing an assist. He then scored his first career professional goal on November 23 against the Springfield Falcons, adding two assists for the Admirals' 4–2 win.

On June 8, 2009, Klinkhammer signed as a free agent with the Rockford IceHogs, the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks, to a two-year, entry-level contract. Following an injury to Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, Klinkhammer was recalled from Rockford to make his NHL debut on December 10, 2010, dressing for a home game win over the Dallas Stars. On July 11, 2011, Klinkhammer signed a one-year contract extension with Chicago.

On December 2, 2011, Klinkhammer was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2013. He reported to the Senators' AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators. He played in his second NHL game, and first with the Senators, on March 4, 2012, against the Florida Panthers. After the game, Ottawa Head Coach Paul MacLean was impressed, calling Klinkhammer "one of our best players."

On July 3, 2012, Klinkhammer signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes. With the 2012–13 NHL lockout in effect, however, he was assigned to the team's AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates. He scored his first career hat-trick October 23, 2012. When the lockout was resolved in January 2013, Klinkhammer remained with Portland, though he was eventually recalled to the Coyotes, later earning the nickname "The Colonel" after his surname's resemblance to the fictional character Colonel Klink's from the TV sitcom ''Hogan's Heroes''.

On December 5, 2014, Klinkhammer, along with a conditional fifth-round pick in 2016, was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenceman Philip Samuelsson.

On January 2, 2015, Klinkhammer and a first-round pick in 2015 were traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for David Perron. On January 6, Klinkhammer landed a blindside-hit on Detroit Red Wings forward Johan Franzén, causing the latter a severe concussion that ended his career. On February 20, Klinkhammer signed a one-year, $650,000 contract extension with the Oilers, keeping him with the organization through to the conclusion of the 2015–16 season. He finished the 2014–15 season with five goals and four assists from 69 games split between the Coyotes, Penguins and Oilers.

After 6 seasons in the NHL, Klinkhammer opted to sign as a free agent to a two-year deal with Belarusian club, HC Dinamo Minsk of the KHL on June 17, 2016.

In Game 5 of the 2018 Gagarin Cup Final against CSKA Moscow, Klinkhammer scored the game-winning goal for Ak Bars Kazan, allowing them to win the Gagarin Cup for the third time since KHL's inception.

On July 25, 2020, Klinkhammer continued his career in the KHL, returning to Belarusian club, Dinamo Minsk, as a free agent on a one-year contract. In the following 2020–21 season, Klinkhammer captained the club in registering 15 goals and 26 points in just 31 games to help return Minsk to the post-season.

As a free agent, Klinkhammer opted to continue his career by playing a seventh season in the KHL, agreeing to a one-year contract with HC Dynamo Moscow on 27 July 2021.

International play

During the 2017–18 season, Klinkhammer was selected to represent Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Used in a checking-line role, Klinkhammer contributed with 2 assists in 6 games to help Canada claim the Bronze medal.

Personal life

Klinkhammer missed two games in 2015 to attend the birth of his child Gunnar Knox, with his wife Jessica.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honours

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Klinkhammer, Rob
1986 births
Ak Bars Kazan players
Arizona Coyotes players
Avangard Omsk players
Bakersfield Condors players
Binghamton Senators players
Brandon Wheat Kings players
Canadian ice hockey left wingers
Chicago Blackhawks players
HC Dinamo Minsk players
HC Dynamo Moscow players
Edmonton Oilers players
Ice hockey people from Alberta
Lethbridge Hurricanes players
Living people
Norfolk Admirals players
Ottawa Senators players
Olympic ice hockey players of Canada
Ice hockey players at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Olympic bronze medalists for Canada
Medalists at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Olympic medalists in ice hockey
Phoenix Coyotes players
Portland Pirates players
Pittsburgh Penguins players
Portland Winterhawks players
Rockford IceHogs (AHL) players
Seattle Thunderbirds players
Sportspeople from Lethbridge
Undrafted National Hockey League players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Belarus
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in Russia