Tim Thomas

Written by Marty Coffey
 Not to be confused with the Tim Thomas of the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, the NHL’s Tim Thomas was born April 15, 1974.  He stands at a somewhat average 5 foot 11 inches and weighs around 180 pounds.
 Born and raised in Michigan, USA, Thomas made a rather odd career move early on.  Unlike European players who make a name for themselves in their native country and then travel to American hockey, Thomas began his career in America but then moved to Europe to play there.
 After having started in the NCAA in 1993 with the University of Vermont, Thomas was drafted in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft as the 217th overall pick, going to Quebec as their ninth round choice.  Though he had been drafted, he stayed with Vermont for several more seasons.  Then in 1998, Thomas played some North American minor league games before making his move to Finland.
 In Finland, he met with success and enjoyed quite a career.  At one point, he boasted an awesome save percentage of 94.7%.  He led his team through the playoffs and to the championship.  Returning to the United States, he joined with the Bruins of Boston.  He finally saw NHL play during four games of the 2002-2003 season.
 In 2005, Thomas played another brief stint in Finland, again seeing success and growth as a player.
 During the 2005-2006 season, Thomas has really made himself a key player for the Bruins.  He was lucky enough to see a lot of game time while two other Bruins goalies were out on injury.  During their absence, Thomas has adequately filled their position, and now one of the returning goalies is playing as the backup for Thomas, as opposed to the other way around.
 Tim Thomas is proving himself an excellent player by statistics, fan votes and awards and commendations.  He got the opportunity to play for the U.S. in the hockey World Championships in 1995, 1996, 1998, and 2005.  He has also won several prestigious European hockey awards in both 1998 and 2005.
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