Logan Thompson Has Proven Himself As A Top Goaltender. Why Hasn't Hockey Canada Gotten The Memo?
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson was again snubbed by Team Canada as the country works toward setting its Olympics roster. What's the reason, though?
If this past season was any proof, Washington Capitals netminder Logan Thompson is among the NHL’s best and can certainly hang with the top goalies in the league.
He went 31-6-6 in the regular season with a .910 save percentage, and overcame an injury at the end of the year to put up a .917 save percentage through 10 playoff games. The 28-year-old also finished fourth in Vezina voting, and time and time again, showcased his ability with big saves and a six-year extension to remain the No. 1 in D.C.
With all that being said, Team Canada has apparently not gotten the memo re: Thompson.
Thompson was not invited to Hockey Canada’s National Teams Orientation Camp in Calgary later this month, which is a three-day, off-ice gathering that includes presentations, team-building activities and more while serving as a first step toward making the roster for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan.
Teammate Tom Wilson earned an invite, but Thompson was not one of three goalies invited, with Jordan Binnington, Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault being the three attendees for the upcoming camp.
This isn’t the first time Thompson’s been passed over; despite being among the NHL leaders in several statistical categories and having the second-best save percentage — and the best among Canadian-born goalies — to open the season, Hockey Canada again passed over him for the 4 Nations Face-Off, where it ultimately won gold.
So… what gives?
Going back to the 4 Nations snub, analyst Steve Valiquette voiced a possible reason for Thompson being left out of the mix, claiming on Sportsnet’s Real Kyper & Bourne last year that assistant coaches Bruce Cassidy and Pete DeBoer have quite a bit to do with it.
Cassidy and DeBoer both worked with Thompson during their tenures with the Vegas Golden Knights, and reportedly, it wasn’t the most positive working relationship. Thompson ultimately requested a trade from Vegas.
"I don't think Cassidy and DeBoer were going to have it," Valiquette said, adding, "I think it was (personalities at the top). They didn't have a great experience with him in Vegas.
"There were times they wanted him to play and he wasn't available. I know a little bit about what happened there, and I can't get into it," Valiquette added. "It was never going to happen."
Cassidy and DeBoer are again assistants and part of Jon Cooper’s staff for the Olympics.
Whether this is a credible claim or not remains to be seen, but something does have to give.
After all the numbers don’t lie, and among Canadian goalies with at least 43 games played this past season, Thompson had the third-best save percentage, outranking all three of Canada’s selections, the second-most wins (behind only Hill) and the least amount of losses.
At the end of the day, it is Canada’s loss, and perhaps not bringing on one of the nation’s best goaltenders will come back to bite the team in Italy.