After skating in 844 NHL games for nine different teams, journeyman center Nate Thompson has announced his retirement.
Thompson compiled 65 goals and 99 assists for 164 points in his 15-season tenure. That time was spent split between the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, and Winnipeg Jets. The center also notched eight goals and 13 assists in 86 career playoff games.
While in the NHL, the American forged for himself a reputation as a team player, a hard worker, and an enforcer. Thompson earned 401 penalty minutes in his career, leaving a mark on both the teams he played for and the skaters he played against.
Almost half of Thompson’s playoff games came while a member of the Ducks, helping them reach the 2015 and 2017 Western Conference Finals. He was also a contributor in the 2011 playoffs for the Lightning, who made it to the Eastern Conference Final that season.
The news came while Thompson was making a guest appearance on The Empty Netters podcast. He posted the news on his Twitter account shortly thereafter, emphasizing his thankfulness for the support he had received throughout his career.
From his fiery play to his team-focused demeanor, Thompson has given himself and his fans plenty of memories to look back on now that his career has come to a close. The grinder may have lost a couple of teeth along the way, but that just means he can be assured that he gave everything he had while on the ice. In my humble opinion, there’s no better indicator of a hard-fought, well-played hockey career than that.
