Tiny Thompson: From Sandon, BC, to Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Champion

Aside from hoisting the Stanley Cup at the end of his first NHL season, highlights from the left-handed catching goaltender’s career include: games played (553); wins (284); and shutouts (81). Alongside zero penalty minutes throughout his NHL career, Thompson—an NHL All-Star—was the first NHL goaltender to record an ‘assist’, which occurred during the 1935-36 season. Notably, during his distinguished 12-year NHL career, Thompson was the recipient of four Vezina Trophies (selected as the NHL’s Best Goaltender during a full season): 1930, 1933, 1936, and 1938.

Interesting Facts About Cecil “Tiny” Thompson

Interesting Fact 1: First NHL Shutout in First NHL Game: In Thompson’s NHL debut, he posted a shutout—the only Hall-of-Fame goaltender to lay claim to this achievement.

Interesting Fact 2: Incredible Rookie Season: Accomplishing one of the greatest rookie seasons in NHL history, Thompson exploded onto the NHL scene as a 25-year-old by posting a 26-13-5 record, a 1.15 GAA, and a whopping 12 shutouts. In his first playoff action, Tiny went 5-0 with three shutouts en route to the Bruins’ first Stanley Cup championship.

Interesting Fact 3: Innovator of Catching the Puck: Because goalies of his NHL era used gloves similar to players and routinely gripped the goalie stick with both hands, Thompson was one of the first goalies to choose to employ the stick-gripping glove as a catching glove (to catch pucks), for which he found great success with this innovative strategy, which has helped lead to some of the most exciting saves in today’s game: “What a great glove save!” is a common announcement during games.

Interesting Fact 4: Long-Held Bruins Wins Record: In 2019, Bruins’ stellar goaltender, Tuukka Rask, notched career win No. 252 following a 28-save effort, which moved him into a tie with Thompson for most victories in Bruins history. When both stood with 252 wins, the two goalie records were quite similar: Thompson (252-153-63) | Tuukka Rask (252-145-56); he finished his career with 308 wins.

Interesting Fact 5: Sibling Rivalry: In 1937, while playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, Tiny Thompson’s younger brother, Paul, scored a goal on Tiny to mark the first time in NHL history when a player scored on his sibling; a notable fact for several years until Phil Esposito discovered ways to put the puck past his brother, Tony.

Thompson Still Sits Sixth in NHL Shutouts

As an NHL goaltender, Thompson made his mark in NHL hockey history. He currently sits tied in sixth position of NHL shutouts (as of July 8, 2025), behind only Martin Brodeur (125), Terry Sawchuk (103), George Hainsworth (94), Glenn Hall (84), and Jacques Plante (82). In that position, Thompson is tied with Alec Connell and Dominik Hasek with 81 shutouts.

In 1959, Thompson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2023, he was named to the Bruins “Historic 100”—a list of the 100 most legendary players in Bruins history. The most famous ‘Sandonite,’ Thompson—Stanley Cup champion, four-time Vezina Trophy winner, and Hockey Hall of Famer—died on Feb. 9, 1981.

This is a brief story of an NHL goaltender with ties to British Columbia’s West Kootenay region, who went on to an illustrious 12-year NHL career. Thompson is an example of how hockey history is worth sharing, honoring, and not forgetting.

[Note: I’d like to thank Brent Bradford (PhD) for his help co-authoring this post. His profile can be found at www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bradford-phd-3a10022a9]