The Vegas Golden Knights have announced rookie goalie Logan Thompson will return from a six-week injury absence to start Thursday against the Calgary Flames.
Thompson suffered a lower-body injury while trying to make a save on Feb. 9 in a game against the Minnesota Wild. He was activated off the injured reserve two days ago but didn’t start in net for the game against the Vancouver Canucks.
It was a long road to the NHL for the undrafted goalie. He played for the Brandon Wheat Kings for four years but since he wasn’t drafted into the NHL, he played a season for Brock University, not exactly a breeding ground for future NHL players.
He played most of the next two seasons in the ECHL for the Adirondack Thunder and South Carolina Stingrays, again, not exactly places known for developing NHL prospects. He signed his first NHL contract with the Vegas Golden Knights after a highly successful ECHL career.
Thompson easily translated his skill to the next level after the ECHL, playing for the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL. In the 2020-21 season, he earned a 16-6-1 record with a 1.96 GAA and a .943 save percentage. He followed that up with another great season the next year and made his NHL debut in 2021-22 for the Golden Knights.
Due to the long-term injury suffered by Robin Lehner, Thompson was called upon to play as the Golden Knights starting goaltender for the 2022-23 season. He has excelled in that role, earning a 20-13-3 record with a 2.66 GAA and .914 save percentage, nearly identical stats from last year.
Because he only played 19 games last season, he is still eligible for the Calder Trophy this season, awarded to the NHL’s top rookie. He will likely be at the very least a finalist for the trophy.
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