Once upon a time, a young hockey player named Logan Thompson was overlooked by professional teams, but his journey to the top is an inspiring tale of perseverance and determination. Seven years ago, he was playing for Brock University, a Canadian varsity team in need of a goalie. Thompson, standing at 6 feet 4 inches and weighing around 200 pounds, exuded confidence and looked like a pro, but the pro teams had passed him by. Despite decent stats and good size, he was ignored in all seven rounds of the NHL draft. Without any offers from minor pro teams, Thompson just needed somewhere to play.
Luc Lobsinger, the goalie coach at Brock University, saw the potential in Thompson and offered him a chance to play 90-95% of the games. This opportunity was a turning point for Thompson's career. He worked hard and grinded, determined to prove people wrong. Located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Brock was a place where he might get noticed, as the biggest concentration of NHL scouts is clustered in southern Ontario.
Thompson's unique style, characterized by an athletic stance that allowed him to move quickly in the net, became his strength. He won 18 games for Brock, lost six, and had a 2.22 average and a .934 save percentage. This impressive performance landed him a gig with the Adirondack Thunder of the East Coast Hockey League at the end of the season – and a game in the American Hockey League, one step below the NHL.
After one more season in the East Coast league, the Vegas Golden Knights came calling in 2020, and placed him on their minor league team in Henderson, Nevada. Later that season, he made his NHL debut. By 2022, he had taken over the starting job in Vegas and, had it not been for an injury, Thompson might have been in net for the team's Stanley Cup win in 2023, rather than watching Adin Hill.
When Vegas decided to hand their net to Hill full-time in 2024, the Washington Capitals acquired Thompson for two third-round picks. In D.C., he solidified himself as a starter, and his play eventually put him on Team Canada's radar. In Milan this week, Thompson said he's extremely grateful for the unusual path he's taken.
'It's been a weird journey. I obviously never thought I'd be in the NHL. And being in the Olympics was definitely not even in the question,' Thompson said. 'Just really happy. Really thankful. I wouldn't want to take my journey any other way.'
Now 28, Thompson finds himself in the Team Canada dressing room, surrounded by names like Crosby, Makar, MacKinnon, and McDavid. He can't help but be amazed by the special players around him. The competitor in him wants to win, and no matter who is in the net for Canada, there's only one objective: winning games. Thompson hasn't forgotten the people who helped him along the way, and he's thankful for every coach and goalie coach who has worked with him.
