Matt Thompson Rookie Profile [1/2]

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Matt “Tommy Gun” Thompson was born to play hockey. From a young age he proved himself an able skater with a shot that goalies in all age groups feared. For this reason it wasn’t uncommon for the young player from Vancouver to be pushed continually up age brackets, playing sometimes against people 2-3 years older than him. They were often bigger and stronger but catching up the Thompson would prove incredibly challenging, stopping him would prove nearly impossible. In his single Midget AAA season with the Fraser Valley Thunderbirds Thompson scored 132 points, 87 of which were goals, propelling him into the WHL draft spotlight.

 

At 16 Thompson was selected in the draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers and would find the first level of competition that was capable of giving him a challenge. Opponents were faster, goalies were more agile. Speed and shot power no longer enough on their own Thompson bulked up and learned to play more defensively. His stats dropped from their Triple A levels but Thompson was still able to produce at a point per game level leading toward the NHL draft.

 

Unfortunately disaster struck in his final playoff game with the Tigers. Thompson went knee on knee with an opposing player and was severely injured. Reconditioning proved fruitless and doctors believe the once great star may never be able to lace up skates again. Scared away by this, no NHL teams decided to take a risk on the 18 year old and he went undrafted. Determined to prove everyone wrong, Thompson decided to sign a short-term contract with the Yukon Rush of the VHL; a strong team on course for the Founder’s Cup. While the team did capture the cup and Thompson did receive a ring for it, his conditioning hardly improved. His ice time was low to help out his knee and he scored no points until late in the playoffs.

 

With his Founder’s Cup secured Thompson went hard during the off-season and made sure his knee was ready when the following season rolled around. Drafted 7th overall by the Ottawa Lynx Thompson stormed onto the ice and quickly became a dominant force once again; become a leader on and off the ice for the Lynx. Unfortunately his knee would flare up once again and slow his point production near the midway point of the season but the Lynx would still perform at a high level; bringing Thompson to his 2nd Founder’s Cup final where they await game 1 against the Saskatoon Wild.

 

Pros

Shot

It’s undeniable that Thompson’s main strength is his shot. He’s a natural born goal scorer who focusses on putting the puck in the back of the net as frequently as possible. His scoring ability is easily the main focus of his game and has made Thompson a danger to opposing goaltenders from anywhere on the ice.

 

Speed

If Thompson isn’t in a position to score you better watch out because he can get into one very quickly. Thompson is surprisingly fast for his size and his capable of bursting through defense faster than they can realize what’s happening. This ability makes it far easier for him to get into advantageous positions on the ice as well as get back quickly in the event his shot doesn’t land as expected.

 

Defense

While not known for his defensive play, Thompson does not ignore it. His size makes him dangerous and he is willing to play the body in the corners when necessary in order to get the puck. He may not be the guy likely to dive in front of a shot for the block but he’ll make opponents pay if they think they can easily get around him. If they don’t end up on the ice, they certainly won’t have the puck the next time they look down.

 

Cons

Conditioning

Thompson’s knee remains a point of question. While his agency claims the knee is no longer a concern the fact remains that it does appear to flare up on occasion which can have odd consequences to Thompson’s reliability. One game he could score you 5 points and the next he’ll do nothing. If Thompson can get his knee injury under control the consistency is likely to come but until then he may be hit or miss.

 

Playmaking

Thompson was born to shoot, not to pass, and it shows. While he can pass and does get assists; most of those assists come from tip ins. Thompson can be a rather selfish player with the puck and will definitely choose to shoot before he chooses to pass in most situations. In a sniper dominated league like the VHL this could work out well but it could also destroy potential line chemistry if Thompson refuses to relinquish the puck.

 

Ego

Thompson’s ego on occasion can be one of his biggest strengths but more often than not it simply gets in the way. He believes he is a better player than his stats indicate which means he’s often harder on himself than he needs to be. This gets in the way of his play as he gets desperate to prove himself. Thompson will need a wakeup call and quickly if he wants to understand how to work well on a team in the VHL.

 

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Review:

Thompson. Nice to see him having a good season as a rookie, and I think he's going to be an elite player. Looks like Pod Cast is sort of running away with that rookie trophy though.