Nate Thompson

Lore & Background

Thompson was acquired by the Los Angeles Kings on February 13, 2018, in a trade with the Ottawa Senators that sent Marián Gáborík and Nick Shore to Ottawa. He joined the Kings alongside Dion Phaneuf.

Thompson welcomed the move to the Western Conference, which he considered more physically aggressive, and he saw it as an opportunity to use his skills as a two-way player and penalty killer. He was familiar with several new teammates, including Richard Park, whom he had played with on the Islanders, and Jake Muzzin, with whom he trained in the offseason. Thompson played 26 games for the Kings to close the 2017–18 regular season, recording six points, and the team qualified for the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs but was swept in the first round by the Vegas Golden Knights.

In the 2018–19 season, Thompson centered the fourth line alongside Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis. He also spent significant time skating with rookie Austin Wagner, serving as a mentor.

The Kings struggled offensively early in the season, and Thompson did not score his first goal of the year until November 18 in a 5–3 loss to the Nashville Predators. Shortly after that goal, assistant coach Marco Sturm moved Thompson from the penalty kill to the second power-play unit, marking the first time in his NHL career he had been on the offensive side of a power play. Thompson skated in 53 games with the Kings that season, recording four points, averaging nearly 13 minutes per game, and winning 53 percent of his face-offs.

Reader's Guide

Nate Thompson's tenure with the Los Angeles Kings, though brief, exemplified his role as a reliable, defensively responsible center who could win face-offs and kill penalties. Acquired in a mid-season trade in 2018, he provided veteran depth and physicality to a team that made the playoffs that spring. The following season, he became a mentor to younger players like Austin Wagner and was trusted with increased responsibility, including a rare stint on the power play.

His time with the Kings highlighted his adaptability and his reputation as a steady fourth-line presence. Thompson's career, spanning nine NHL teams, was defined by his face-off success and two-way reliability, and his contributions in Los Angeles were consistent with that profile. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in February 2019 as part of a series of moves, ending his time with the Kings after parts of two seasons.

Did You Know?

• Thompson scored his first NHL goal on November 4, 2008, a short-handed shot past Henrik Lundqvist for the New York Islanders.
• During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Thompson played for his hometown Alaska Aces of the ECHL.
• He was suspended three games in December 2015 for an illegal check to the head of Justin Faulk while with the Anaheim Ducks.