When the Boston Bruins selected Hamilton with the No. 9 pick in the 2011 NHL Draft, they felt they had fortified their defense for the next decade or more.

After all, at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds, Hamilton had size, skating range and offensive ability, having scored 58 points in 67 games for his hometown Niagara team in the Ontario Hockey League during the 2010-11 season.

After being drafted, Hamilton returned to Niagara and only raised expectations with 72 points in 50 games in 2011-12. Midway through the 2012-13 season with Niagara, he was on a better than a point-per-game clip and helped Canada win a bronze medal at the World Junior Championship.

His 2 1/2 seasons in a Bruins jersey further hinted at his potential: He had 22 goals and 83 points in 178 games. Following the 2014-15 season, with Hamilton days away from becoming a restricted free agent and negotiations with the Bruins having stalled, he was on his way to the Calgary Flames for three draft picks.

Hamilton then signed a six-year contract with the Flames. He spent the next three seasons with Calgary, had an NHL career-high 50 points (13 goals, 37 assists) in 2016-17 and led all NHL defensemen in goals (17) in 2017-18.

But the Flames traded Hamilton to the Carolina Hurricanes on June 23, 2018, along with forward Micheal Ferland and prospect Adam Fox for defenseman Noah Hanifin and forward Elias Lindholm.