In the 2009-2010 NHL season, Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins had an off season and Tuukka Rask, being the backup goalie, had to step up, stealing the number 1 job for Bruins and taking that role in the second half in the playoffs.
Fast forward to 2010-11 and Tim Thomas made a major come back. He was playing great hockey and even making amazing saves some that astounded the announcers along with fans.
With Thomas back as the number 1 goalie, the Boston Bruins finished third in the Eastern Conference standings. In the quarter finals the Bruins played their arch-rivals in the Montreal Canadiens. A battle of goaltenders, each game saw both Carey Price and Tim Thomas make thirty or more saves. The series was a tight one and went to a game seven, and even worse it went into sudden death overtime. It was no longer who the best goalie was or who had the best team. It simply came down who had the lucky shot and Nathan Horton ended the game on a high note for the Bruins with the series winner.
Up next, the Bruins took on the Philadelphia Flyers and again Tim Thomas was spectacular as the Bruins avenged the 2010 loss, and took out the Flyers in four games. Next Thomas and his team went on to go play the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was bit of a struggle and they ended up going to a game seven but again winning it. The Bruins were headed to the Stanley Cup Finals.
In the Stanley Cup Finals Thomas went up against one of the top goalies that year in Roberto Luongo. They were both outstanding in the finals and as soon as game seven hit, it was as if Luongo crashed and the Bruins won the Stanley Cup.
Then came the next year in the 2011-2012 season. The Bruins were going steady up until they went to the White House to meet the President and the whole entire team showed up to the White House. Everyone except Tim Thomas.
In my own opinion, this was the moment Tim Thomas hit his rough patch. Now I know everyone has their own opinion on politics and I completely agree that it should not mix with sports. Actually I don’t think anything should mix with sports because all it does is cause trouble.
Tim Thomas as an individual person has his own rights on what he decides to do. If he wants to meet the President or vote for someone else he is entitled. At the same time the entire team went to meet the President and Thomas, the MVP of the 2011 playoffs wasn’t there. As a team member he let his whole entire team down, creating a distraction not just that day at the White House, but something that became a talking point in the media for the months that followed.
On top of that distraction, or maybe because of it, his performance as a goalie also started to go downhill. The Bruins entered the playoffs second place in the Eastern Conference with a Northeast division title win but they did not survive the first round, losing to the Washington Capitals in seven games.
After the loss, Thomas announced that he was taking a year off from hockey and the NHL for family issues. Now that year was not very long considering the lockout but Thomas was still away. During the season Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli traded Thomas’ contract to the New York Islanders to clear cap space. It was a paper move as Thomas never suited up in New York and became a free agent.
Despite announcing his intention to return to the NHL, free agent frenzy day came and went, and now weeks have passed and he is still currently un-signed. It would appear that NHL teams are hesitant to sign a thirty-nine year old goalie who took a year away from hockey. Yes, he is a Stanley Cup winner but he also caused a major distraction and was not able to pull his way through and get the Bruins far in the playoffs after causing that issue. His slump down the stretch did not help his case.
If any team were to sign him for the upcoming season, it will probably be a team that was near the bottom of the standings like the Florida Panthers and it would be a one, maybe two year contract for no more than three million dollars. If he gets the contract and can prove himself this season he might get a better contract and if not he will either retire or go play in Europe.
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