Paul Thompson (ice hockey, born 1988)
Paul Thompson (born November 30, 1988) is an American ice hockey forward who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played with the Bridgeport Islanders in the American Hockey League (AHL). During the 2010–11 season, he was the Hockey East player of the year, led the Hockey East in scoring, and then led the nation in power play goals while playing with the University of New Hampshire.[1]
| Paul Thompson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | November 30, 1988 Derry, New Hampshire, U.S. | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| team Former teams | Free agent New Jersey Devils Florida Panthers | ||
| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2011–present | ||
Playing career edit
Born in Derry, New Hampshire, Thompson began playing hockey at age five.[2] He became a fan of the UNH hockey team while his elder cousin, Mike Souza, played on the team.[3] He later attended Pinkerton Academy where he played hockey his freshman and sophomore year. While at Pinkerton he also played Baseball and Football.[2] The next two years he played for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs of the Eastern Junior Hockey League.[4] After scoring fifty one goals in fifty games in the 2006–07 season, Thompson was named the EJHL Offensive Player of the Year.[5] In 2007, he was ranked seventy second among North American hockey players by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau. He was the highest ranked North American player to not be selected in the NHL Entry Draft that year.[6]
He then attended the University of New Hampshire where he is a Health Management major.[7] Thompson scored his first college hat trick on November 17, 2007 in a game against Providence College.[2][8] In the 2009–10 season he scored thirty nine points, second on the team to Bobby Butler.[5] Thompson is now the highest scoring New Hampshire native on the UNH ice hockey team in the past thirty years.[9] He is a finalist for the 2011 Hobey Baker Award.[1]
In March 2011 he signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.[10] He then began playing for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
On February 6, 2014, Thompson was traded by the Penguins to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for Spencer Machacek.[11]
As a free agent in the off-season, Thompson signed a one-year AHL contract with the Albany Devils. Prior to the 2014–15 season, he attended NHL parent club, the New Jersey Devils training camp.[12]
On July 1, 2015, Thompson signed a two-year, two-way free agent contract with the New Jersey Devils.[13] To begin the 2015–16 season, Thompson was returned to continue his tenure with the Albany Devils in the AHL. On January 8, 2016, Thompson received his first NHL recall by the Devils, and made his debut that night in a 4-1 defeat to the Boston Bruins.[14] After three scoreless games with New Jersey, Thompson was reassigned to Albany to finish the season, compiling 35 points in 56 games.
On June 10, 2016, the New Jersey Devils traded Thompson along with teammate Graham Black to the Florida Panthers in exchange of Marc Savard's contract and a second-round pick in 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[15]
On July 1, 2017, having left the Panthers as a free agent, Thompson agreed to a one-year, two-way contract with expansion club, the Vegas Golden Knights.[16] In the 2017–18 season, Thompson was reassigned by the Golden Knights to AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, for the duration of the year. He played in every regular season game with the Wolves, posting 24 goals and 38 points.
On July 2, 2018, Thompson opted to return to the Florida Panthers organization as a free agent, securing a two-year, two-way deal.[17]
After concluding his contract within the Panthers organization and Springfield Thunderbirds, Thompson left as a free agent to continue his career in the AHL by signing with the Hartford Wolf Pack, affiliate of the New York Rangers on October 10, 2020.[18]
As a free agent, Thompson extended his career in the following 2021–22 season, agreeing to a one-year AHL contract with Bridgeport Islanders and assigned to ECHL affiliate, the Worcester Railers, on October 19, 2021.[19]
Coaching Career edit
In 2023, Thompson joined JR Zavisza's staff as an assistant coach at Loomis Chaffee, a preparatory boarding school in Connecticut.[20] Thompson replaced Steve Novodor, who left to become the women's head coach at Albertus Magnus.[21]
Career statistics edit
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2005–06 | New Hampshire Junior Monarchs | EJHL | 38 | 13 | 17 | 30 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | New Hampshire Junior Monarchs | EJHL | 44 | 45 | 38 | 83 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | University of New Hampshire | HE | 35 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | University of New Hampshire | HE | 27 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | University of New Hampshire | HE | 39 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | University of New Hampshire | HE | 39 | 28 | 24 | 52 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 67 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 37 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | Wheeling Nailers | ECHL | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 58 | 20 | 9 | 29 | 84 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 21 | ||
| 2013–14 | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 39 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Springfield Falcons | AHL | 30 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 50 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 2014–15 | Albany Devils | AHL | 73 | 33 | 22 | 55 | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Albany Devils | AHL | 56 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 96 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 16 | ||
| 2015–16 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Springfield Thunderbirds | AHL | 51 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 21 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Chicago Wolves | AHL | 76 | 24 | 14 | 38 | 108 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19 | Springfield Thunderbirds | AHL | 72 | 26 | 27 | 53 | 111 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Springfield Thunderbirds | AHL | 54 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 24 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Worcester Railers | ECHL | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Bridgeport Islanders | AHL | 32 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2022–23 | Bridgeport Islanders | AHL | 59 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 24 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
Awards and honors edit
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| College | ||
| All-Hockey East First Team | 2010–11 | [22] |
| AHCA East First-Team All-American | 2010–11 | |
References edit
- ^ a b . WMUR. March 17, 2011. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
- ^ a b c Rose, Lauren (November 13, 2008). "No sophomore jinx for Paul Thompson". Derry News. Derry, NH. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ Lessels, Allen (March 25, 2011). "Local boy makes good". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ Pike, Al (March 24, 2011). "N.H. native Thompson has dream career with Wildcats". Seacoastonline.com. Retrieved March 25, 2011.
- ^ a b Labor, Anthony (November 22, 2010). "Hometown hero: UNH senior Thompson thriving". Seacoastonline.com. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ McMahon, Mike (December 13, 2010). "Thompson follows cousin to UNH, paves his own path". The Eagle-Tribune. North Andover, MA. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ Merritt, Andrew (February 24, 2011). . New England Hockey Journal. Archived from the original on July 11, 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
- ^ "Friars fall to Wildcats in overtime". The Providence Journal. November 18, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ Lessels, Allen (January 31, 2011). "Allen Lessels' UNH Notebook: Maine event set". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
- ^ "Thompson signs with Penguins". USA Today. Associated Press. March 28, 2011. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
- ^ "Penguins trade Thompson to Blue Jackets for Machacek". The Sports Network. February 6, 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
- ^ "Defenseman Eric Gelinas re-signs with Devils". FireandIce.com. September 15, 2014. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
- ^ "Thompson inks two-year, two-way contract". New Jersey Devils. July 1, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ^ "Vatrano's early goal leads Bruins past Devils". CBS Sports. January 8, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ^ "Devils trade for Savard's contract". The Sports Network. June 10, 2016. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
- ^ "Golden Knights sign 6 free agents". Las Vegas Sun. July 1, 2017. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ "Panthers agree to terms with Thompson and MacDonald". Florida Panthers. July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ Hartford Wolf Pack (October 10, 2020). "Paul Thompson signs a contract with the Wolf Pack". Twitter. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
- ^ Fornabaioctp (October 19, 2021). "Bridgeport signs Paul Thompson". Twitter. Retrieved October 19, 2021.
- ^ David Willis (October 28, 2023). "Under the Lights: Derry's Thompson kicks off coaching career". The Eagle-Tribune. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Novodor Selected as Falcons' Inaugural Women's Ice Hockey Coach". Albertus Magnus College Athletics. October 6, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Hockey East First-Team All-Stars". hockeyeastonline.com. April 1, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
External links edit
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database