The no. 24 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft is known for his fitness and freak athleticism, but so does Utah HC's Fittest Player from prospect camp.
When the Utah Hockey Club selected Cole Beaudoin in the first round of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft, they were getting someone who the New York Times called an "athletic freak".
It turns out he won't be the only athletic freak in the pool of prospects for Utah HC in 2024-25.
The title for now belongs to Cal Thomas, a defence prospect from Minnesota, selected 171st overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2021, whose rights were transferred to Utah.
At 6 feet, 180 pounds, Thomas finished his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota, where he scored his first collegiate goal for the Golden Gophers this past year.
He began his career with the youth programs in the State of Hockey, eventually finding his way to the USHL's Sioux Falls Stampede, where he played two stints with the club.
Thomas scored 16 points in 35 appearances for the Stampede in his second stint before matriculating to Minnesota in 2022-23.
His physical improvement led to the club awarding Thomas the Fittest Player award, given to the prospect "who performed the best across all testing by the High Performance Department".
With this award, it'll be intriguing to see what Thomas does for an encore for Minnesota this season; it could be a breakout junior season.