Robert Thomas

Robert Thomas (born July 2, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who serves as captain of the St. Louis Blues in the National Hockey League (NHL). Hailing from Aurora, Ontario, Thomas played three seasons of major junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the London Knights and Hamilton Bulldogs. He captured the Memorial Cup as a rookie with the Knights in 2016 and was selected by the Blues in the first round, 20th overall, of the 2017 NHL entry draft. At 19, he was the youngest player on the Blues’ roster when they won the Stanley Cup in 2019.

Thomas began his youth hockey career with the York Simcoe Express, playing Bantam and AAA levels. He later spent two years with the St. Andrew’s College Saints under-16 team while attending the private school. In the OHL, he was drafted 26th overall by the London Knights in 2015. As a rookie, he posted 15 points in 40 games and helped the Knights win the 2016 Memorial Cup.

The following season, he recorded a career-high 66 points in 66 games, earned the OHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year Award, and was named to the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. After being drafted by the Blues, he signed a three-year entry-level contract in September 2017 but was returned to the OHL for further development. He was named captain of the Knights in November 2017 before being traded to the Hamilton Bulldogs in January 2018. With the Bulldogs, he served a five-game suspension for slashing but still finished tied for 20th in league scoring.

He then led the team to the J. Ross Robertson Cup, recording 32 points in 21 playoff games and winning the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award as playoff MVP.

Thomas made the Blues’ opening night roster for the 2018–19 season and debuted on October 4 against the Winnipeg Jets. After being a healthy scratch for two of his first six games, he notched his first NHL point on October 12 and his first goal on November 21. He finished the regular season with 33 points in 70 games, helping the Blues reach the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. At age 19, he assisted on both goals in Game 7 of the Western Conference Second Round, drawing praise from former Blues player Keith Tkachuk.

During the Western Conference Final against the San Jose Sharks, he suffered a wrist injury. Internationally, Thomas has represented Canada at the junior level since 2015, winning gold at the 2015 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2018 World Junior Championships. His father Scott, a chef, trained him for his first five years of hockey, and his grandfather Bruce Waechter built a backyard rink for him to practice on.