Following a Memorial Cup Championship Final loss to the Windsor Spitfires, Hamonic signed a three-year entry level contract with the New York Islanders on May 26, 2010. On November 24, 2010, after spending 19 games in the American Hockey League with the Islanders' top minor league affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Hamonic made his NHL debut, putting in a strong performance for New York, who ultimately lost in overtime against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He later scored his first NHL goal on February 1, 2011, against Ondřej Pavelec of the Atlanta Thrashers, and finished the season with an impressive rookie total of five goals and 26 points in 62 games. In his first two NHL seasons, Hamonic was the only Islanders player to finish both seasons with a positive plus-minus rating. In the midst of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Hamonic returned to the Islanders' affiliate in Bridgeport and posted ten points in 21 games. Following the 2012–13 shortened season, in which he helped the Islanders return to the Stanley Cup playoffs, Hamonic became a restricted free agent; he was rewarded with a seven-year, $27 million contract extension by the Islanders. Early in the 2015-16 NHL season, it was revealed that Hamonic had requested a trade specifically to Western Canada due to family reasons. GM Garth Snow had known since before the season started, however wasn't able to find a deal that suited the Islanders' needs while accommodating Hamonic's request. After the playoffs, news broke that Hamonic had rescinded his trade request, expressing his desire to remain an Islander with the news that his family situation had "stabilized". On October 12, 2016, Hamonic was named as an alternate captain for the upcoming season.
Calgary Flames
On June 24, 2017, Travis Hamonic was traded to the Calgary Flames from the New York Islanders for a first round draft pick and two second round draft picks. On April 23, 2018, Hamonic was nominated for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy as a player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and gives back to his community. Following the Flames 2018–19 season opener loss to the Vancouver Canucks on October 3, 2018, Hamonic was placed on injured reserve to recover from a facial fracture following a fight with Erik Gudbranson. He was activated from injured reserve on October 25. On July 10, 2020, Hamonic announced he will opt-out of the NHL Return-To-Play Program, meaning he will not play in the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, due to family considerations.
Personal life
Hamonic, who is of Metis ancestry, grew up on Hamonic Farms in Manitoba, mostly farming with his dad and, at the age of five, discovered ice hockey. When he was ten years old, his father Gerald died due to a major heart attack. A year after that, Hamonic and his family moved to Winnipeg, where he continued thriving at hockey. He said it was his getaway from the thoughts of losing his father. He grew up in a religious family and during his time with the Islanders, he wore number 3 as a sign of the Holy Trinity. ESPN2 series did a feature on Hamonic titled "In the Name of the Father," an inspirational segment on Hamonic's story.
Community involvement
Hamonic and his wife, Stephanie, are active in many First Nations communities. During the 2016–17 off season, Hamonic worked with a television show called "Hit The Ice" to give assistance and exposure to young First Nations hockey prospects as they participated in a two-week NHL-format training camp for a chance to be seen by junior hockey scouts. Hamonic and his wife also take part in The Northern Project initiative which provides Indigenous children from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon the opportunity to visit Calgary. At the conclusion of the 2016–17 season, Hamonic was awarded the Foundation Player Award for his D-Partner Program, where he invited children to games who had lost parents, a program which he continued in Calgary.
