Tiny Thompson

Lore & Background

Thompson began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins in the 1928–29 season after his contract was purchased by Boston manager Art Ross, who had never seen him play but heard of his reputation. In his first game, he posted a shutout, becoming the only Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender to accomplish this feat. That season, he appeared in all 44 games, posting 12 shutouts and a 1.15 goals-against average, and helped the Bruins win their first Stanley Cup, recording three shutouts in five playoff games. He faced his brother Paul Thompson in the 1929 Stanley Cup Final, the first time brothers faced each other in a goaltender-forward combination in Final history.

Thompson helped popularize the technique of the 'glove save'—catching the puck with his hands as a method of making a save. He was also a competent puckhandler and became the first NHL goaltender to record an assist in 1936 by passing the puck with his stick to a fellow player. During the 1930–31 playoffs, he became the first goaltender to be pulled for a sixth attacker at the end of a game, a maneuver later known as 'open net.' He played in the second-longest NHL game in 1933, a six-overtime playoff loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, receiving a standing ovation from fans at Maple Leaf Gardens.

Reader's Guide

Thompson's significance lies in his consistent excellence as a goaltender over 12 NHL seasons. He won the Vezina Trophy four times (1930, 1933, 1936, 1938), tying and then surpassing George Hainsworth's record for most Vezina wins at the time. He recorded 81 career shutouts, the sixth-highest of any goaltender, and his 252 wins with the Boston Bruins stood as a franchise record for 81 years until surpassed by Tuukka Rask. Thompson also holds the Bruins' all-time regular-season shutout record with 74, ahead of Rask's 52. His legacy includes pioneering the glove save technique and being the first NHL goaltender to record an assist. After retiring, he coached lower-league teams and became a noted professional scout. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1959.

Did You Know?

• Thompson acquired the nickname 'Tiny' as a joke because he was the tallest player on his team at 5 ft 10 in.
• He was the first NHL goaltender to record an assist, doing so in 1936 by passing the puck with his stick.
• Thompson faced his brother Paul in the 1929 Stanley Cup Final, the first time brothers met in a goaltender-forward combination in Final history.
• He was the first goaltender to be pulled for a sixth attacker, a maneuver that became known as 'open net.'