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Rob Klinkhammer
Rob Klinkhammer - Edmonton Oilers.jpg
Klinkhammer with the Edmonton Oilers in 2015
Born (1986-08-12) August 12, 1986 (age 38)
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 216 lb (98 kg; 15 st 6 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for Chicago Blackhawks
Ottawa Senators
Arizona Coyotes
Pittsburgh Penguins
Edmonton Oilers
Dinamo Minsk
Ak Bars Kazan
Avangard Omsk
Dynamo Moscow
National team Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 2007–2022

Robert "Rob" Klinkhammer (born August 12, 1986) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a left winger and was known for his strong play. After retiring from playing, he became an Assistant Coach for the Rockford IceHogs in the American Hockey League. Klinkhammer played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), including the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, Arizona Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Edmonton Oilers. He also played in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for teams like HC Dinamo Minsk, Ak Bars Kazan, Avangard Omsk, and HC Dynamo Moscow.

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Rob Klinkhammer's Hockey Journey

Starting in Junior Hockey

Rob Klinkhammer
Rob Klinkhammer during his time with the Coyotes.

Rob Klinkhammer grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta, where he first started playing hockey. He joined the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Western Hockey League (WHL), which is a major junior league. He played there for parts of three seasons.

Later, he played for the Seattle Thunderbirds, Portland Winter Hawks, and Brandon Wheat Kings. In his final junior season, he had his best year, scoring 33 goals and 40 assists for 73 points. His team, the Brandon Wheat Kings, even won their division title that year.

Turning Professional

Klinkhammer began his professional career in the American Hockey League (AHL) in the 2007–08 season. He played for the Norfolk Admirals. He quickly showed his skills, getting an assist in his first game and scoring his first professional goal soon after.

In 2009, he signed with the Rockford IceHogs, which is the AHL team linked to the Chicago Blackhawks. He made his exciting NHL debut with the Blackhawks in 2010.

Playing in the NHL

Klinkhammer moved to the Ottawa Senators in 2011. He played his first game with them in March 2012. His coach, Paul MacLean, was very impressed with his performance.

In 2012, he joined the Phoenix Coyotes. While playing for their AHL team, the Portland Pirates, he scored his first "hat-trick" (three goals in one game). When he joined the Coyotes in the NHL, he even earned a fun nickname: "The Colonel."

He was later traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2014. Then, in 2015, he moved to the Edmonton Oilers. During his time with the Oilers, he was involved in a play where he hit Detroit Red Wings player Johan Franzén. This hit unfortunately led to Franzén's career ending due to injury. Klinkhammer signed a new contract with the Oilers, staying with them until the end of the 2015–16 season. He played 69 games that season, scoring five goals and four assists across three different teams.

Adventures in the KHL

After playing six seasons in the NHL, Klinkhammer decided to play in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). This is a major league in Europe and Asia. He signed a two-year deal with HC Dinamo Minsk in Belarus in 2016.

Rob Klinkhammer 2014-12-13 1
Klinkhammer in December 2014.

A big moment in his KHL career happened in 2018. While playing for Ak Bars Kazan, he scored the winning goal in Game 5 of the Gagarin Cup Final. This helped his team win the Gagarin Cup, which is the KHL's championship trophy!

He returned to Dinamo Minsk in 2020 and even became the team captain. He played well, helping his team reach the playoffs. In 2021, he signed with HC Dynamo Moscow, continuing his KHL journey.

Representing Canada

Olympic Bronze Medalist

In the 2017–18 season, Rob Klinkhammer was chosen to play for Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. He played an important role, helping Canada win the Bronze medal. He had two assists in six games during the tournament.

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
Olympic Games
Bronze 2018 Pyeongchang

Life Off the Ice

Rob Klinkhammer's parents are Gerry and Ruth. His father, Gerry, was also a hockey player and later became a scout for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

In 2015, Rob missed a couple of games to be there for the birth of his child, Gunnar Knox, with his wife Jessica.

After retiring from playing hockey in the KHL in 2022, Klinkhammer started a new chapter as a coach. He first coached a youth team in his hometown of Lethbridge. Then, in August 2022, he took on his current role as an Assistant Coach for the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2002–03 Lethbridge Y Men AAA AMHL 36 5 8 13 84
2003–04 Lethbridge Y Men AAA AMHL 29 20 22 42 114
2003–04 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 25 2 3 5 12
2004–05 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 72 14 12 26 81 5 0 1 1 4
2005–06 Lethbridge Hurricanes WHL 35 5 7 12 15
2005–06 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 32 3 5 8 37 7 0 1 1 6
2006–07 Seattle Thunderbirds WHL 1 0 0 0 9
2006–07 Portland Winter Hawks WHL 37 23 19 42 70
2006–07 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 28 10 21 31 29 11 4 4 8 22
2007–08 Norfolk Admirals AHL 66 12 12 24 41
2008–09 Rockford IceHogs AHL 76 15 18 33 32 4 0 1 1 0
2009–10 Rockford IceHogs AHL 72 10 14 24 38 4 1 1 2 7
2010–11 Rockford IceHogs AHL 76 17 29 46 63
2010–11 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 1 0 0 0 0
2011–12 Rockford IceHogs AHL 18 2 4 6 6
2011–12 Binghamton Senators AHL 35 12 23 35 30
2011–12 Ottawa Senators NHL 15 0 2 2 2
2012–13 Portland Pirates AHL 53 14 30 44 36
2012–13 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 22 5 6 11 10
2013–14 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 72 11 9 20 19
2014–15 Arizona Coyotes NHL 19 3 0 3 4
2014–15 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 10 1 2 3 0
2014–15 Edmonton Oilers NHL 40 1 2 3 23
2015–16 Edmonton Oilers NHL 14 1 0 1 6
2015–16 Bakersfield Condors AHL 27 14 10 24 36
2016–17 Dinamo Minsk KHL 47 21 21 42 65 5 1 1 2 0
2017–18 Dinamo Minsk KHL 7 1 1 2 27
2017–18 Ak Bars Kazan KHL 42 7 13 20 32 19 3 5 8 10
2018–19 Ak Bars Kazan KHL 57 19 5 24 79 4 1 0 1 8
2019–20 Avangard Omsk KHL 44 12 15 27 57
2020–21 Dinamo Minsk KHL 31 15 11 26 38 5 0 0 0 8
2021–22 Dynamo Moscow KHL 41 6 10 16 28 4 0 1 1 2
NHL totals 193 22 21 43 64
KHL totals 269 81 76 157 326 37 5 7 12 28

International Play

Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2018 Canada OG 3 6 0 2 2 2
Senior totals 6 0 2 2 2

Awards and Honours

Award Year Ref
KHL
Gagarin Cup (Ak Bars Kazan) 2018
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