Tage Thompson

Tage Nathaniel Thompson (born October 30, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey center for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Thompson was selected 26th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. Thompson played his collegiate hockey at the University of Connecticut.

Early life

Thompson was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and lived across the United States, attending 11 different schools before accelerating his graduation from Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after his junior year, at the University of Connecticut's request.

Playing career

After playing in the U.S. National Development Team in the United States Hockey League, Thompson embarked on a collegiate career with Connecticut in the Hockey East conference. Thompson appeared in all 36 games during his freshman season at UConn in 2015–16 and was second on the team with 32 points on 14 goals and 18 assists. He also led the nation with 14 power play goals. Thompson wears jersey number #72 with his current team the Buffalo Sabres.

In the 2016–17 season, and after his selection by the Blues in the draft, Thompson appeared in 34 games with the Huskies as a sophomore. He missed two games while participating with Team USA in the IIHF World Junior U20 Championship in Canada which resulted in Thompson earning his second Gold Medal. During his 34 games, Thompson led the Huskies with 19 goals and 32 points. After the completion of the Huskies season, Thompson opted to conclude his collegiate career and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues on March 7, 2017. He immediately joined the Blues affiliate, the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, on an amateur try-out contract for the remainder of the 2016–17 season.

Thompson made his NHL debut in the Blues' first game of the 2017–18 season against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 4, 2017. He played four NHL games before being sent down to the San Antonio Rampage on October 13. He was recalled to the NHL on December 18, and scored his first NHL goal three days later, in a 3–2 loss against the Edmonton Oilers.

On July 1, 2018, he was part of a trade by the Blues that sent Vladimír Sobotka, Patrik Berglund, a 2019 first-round draft pick, and a 2021 second-round draft pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Ryan O'Reilly.

On October 5, 2020, as a restricted free agent, Thompson signed a three-year, $4.2 million contract extension with the Sabres.

Entering the 2021–22 season with low expectations for the Sabres, Thompson enjoyed a breakout season playing on the top line with Jeff Skinner and new acquisition Alex Tuch. He tallied his first career hat-trick on February 19, 2022, in a 5–3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He would finish the season with 38 goals and 68 points in 78 games. On August 30, Thompson signed a seven-year, $50 million contract extension with the Sabres.

On October 31, 2022, Thompson scored a hat-trick and tallied three assists in an 8–3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. He was the sixth player in franchise history to collect six points in a game, and he would do so again a little over one month later. On December 7, against the Columbus Blue Jackets, he scored five goals in a game including four in the first period, becoming the fourth player in NHL history to do so. He added an assist for a total of six points. His five goals also tied the Sabres franchise record for goals in a game, joining Dave Andreychuk. He also became only the second American-born player to score five times in a game; the first one, Mark Pavelich, did it 39 years before Thompson. In January 2023, he was named to the 2023 NHL All Star Game, the first of his career, but would be replaced by defenseman Rasmus Dahlin due to injury. On February 23, Thompson became the first Sabres player to record four hat-tricks in a season since Drew Stafford in 2010–11, doing so in a 6–5 overtime win versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. Three days later, on February 26, he scored in a 7–4 win against the Washington Capitals, becoming a 40-goal scorer for the first time in his career, and the first player to do so for the Sabres since Jeff Skinner in 2018–19. Later in the season, he became the first Sabres player to record 90 points in a season since Daniel Brière did so in 2006–07, picking up an assist in a 2–1 loss to the Florida Panthers.

Personal life

Thompson's father is former NHL player and current assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks, Brent Thompson. At the time Tage was born, Brent was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes organization. His mother, Kimberly Oliver Thompson, hails from Phoenix, Arizona. His younger brother, Tyce is forward in the New York Islanders farm system.

Thompson is a Christian. He and his wife have two sons.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and honors

References

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database