"If he's the guy who gets us a gold medal, I'll drive him to the rink every day," said Vegas' Bruce Cassidy, who believes Thompson could be the No. 1 goalie at the Olympics. "His numbers certainly make the argument that he could be the starting goalie."
Bruce Cassidy wants to set the record straight.
A year ago, the Vegas Golden Knights coach was accused of blocking former goalie Logan Thompson from making Team Canada's roster at the 4 Nations Face-Off. But now that Thompson has been named to the Olympics, Cassidy said he couldn't be happier and that it wouldn't surprise him if the Washington Capitals goalie heads into next month's tournament as Canada's No. 1 goalie.
"I think Logan's earned his way. I'm happy for him. He deserves it," Cassidy, who is an assistant coach for Team Canada, told The Hockey News following Friday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
"If he's the guy who gets us a gold medal, I'll drive him to the rink every day. I'll do whatever. I don’t care who the goalie is. I’m there to win a gold medal."
Certainly, Thompson's numbers this year suggest he should be the starter — especially when you consider how Canada's other two options, Jordan Binnington and Darcy Kuemper, have played this season.
Binnington has struggled mightily with the St. Louis Blues, recording the third-worst save percentage among goalies who have played in 15 games this season. Kuemper has a mediocre 13-9-9 record with the Los Angeles Kings and is tied for 25th in save percentage.
Thompson, meanwhile, is among the top five leaders with a .914 save percentage and a 2.39 goals-against average. Only Ilya Sorokin has a better goals saved above expected, according to moneypuck.com.
And yet, there's still talk of Thompson being the backup.
"Now, I don't know if they'll go back to Binnington, because he won it last time," said Cassidy. "There's some familiarity there. Or if they'll go with both, because there's a back-to-back. And then there's Kuemper in the mix, who's had a pretty good year, too. I don't know how that will go. It's (Jon Cooper) Coop's call and (St. Louis Blues) goalie coach, David Alexander.
"But his numbers certainly make the argument that he could be the starting goalie."
A year ago, you could have said the same thing. But for whatever reason, Thompson was left at home as Team Canada selected Binnington, Adin Hill and Samuel Montembeault for the 4 Nations Face-Off.
That snub sparked speculation that Cassidy and Peter DeBoer, who had each coached Thompson at different times in Vegas and were also part of Canada's coaching staff, had played a role in preventing Thompson from making the team.
"I don't think Cassidy and (Peter DeBoer) were going to have it," NHL analyst Steve Valiquette told Sportsnet's Real Kyper & Bourne Show, adding, "I think it was (personalities at the top). They didn't have a great experience with him in Vegas."
When asked about these reports, Cassidy confirmed that he indeed recommended Hill ahead of Thompson, but that the decision wasn't personal.
"Obviously I recommended 'Hilly' just because of the Stanley Cup," said Cassidy. "When Team Canada asked, I said, 'Listen, they're both good, but I had Hilly ahead of him, because he just won a Stanley Cup for us.' How could I not have him? I'm loyal. And he was our starter."
At the same time, Cassidy acknowledged that Thompson probably wasn't happy with how things played out in Vegas.
Cassidy coached Thompson for two years with the Golden Knights. The two won a Stanley Cup together in 2023, but due to injuries and other circumstances, Thompson did not play a single playoff game during that championship run. The following year, he split the net with Adin Hill but then was traded in the off-season.
"Listen, I'm not going to speak for Logan," said Cassidy. "When he was here, we won the Cup that year, and he got hurt. He was our all-star goalie that year. He went to the All-Star Game and played great for us and then got hurt in February. It was actually Laurent Broissoit who came in for us, because Hilly was hurt. And then (Laurent Brossoit) got hurt in the playoffs, and Hilly came in. I think that's where some of it stems from."
Following the end of the 2023-24 season, Thompson requested a trade.
"I think with us and Vegas, I don't think we were going to be able to keep both of them signed at the end of the day," Cassidy said. "We chose Adin, and I say 'we,' but I'm the coach. It's not up to me who stays in the end. Logan's played well, Hilly's had a good last year and he's been hurt a lot this year so he's had a hard time proving himself. But I get along with Logan. My wife knows (Thompson's wife) Linnea, they're good friends, they're in the same business. I look forward to seeing them in Milan."
For Thompson, his journey to finally get onto Team Canada's Olympic team is not unlike his journey to become an NHL starter. Remember, this isn't a goalie many believed was destined for greatness. Thompson went undrafted after four years in the WHL and considered quitting several times. His former GM in Vegas once bet him a case of beer that he'd ever make it.
So it's natural that he's going to have a chip on his shoulder and a me-against-the-world mentality. Sometimes, that rubs people the wrong way. Often, as Thompson has proved, it also gets you to where you need to be, which in this case is the Olympic stage, where he could be the starting goalie for Team Canada.
"His story is better than most when it comes to if a young kid is ever wondering, 'Can I make it?' " said Cassidy. "He really paid his dues and played in a lot of levels. We're happy for him. He might not have been happy that he didn't get extra starts here or there. But he wouldn't be the first guy who's upset with his minutes.
"We went with Hilly as our No. 1 guy. But I think they're both No. 1 guys now."
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