How was the L’Anse-au-Clair native planning on enjoy the free time?
By hitting the ice for team practice.
“Hopefully we’ll work on some special teams stuff,” said the son of Keith and Wanda. “Maybe some team bonding.”
With that kind of focus from the guys in the jerseys, it should be no real surprise the team is off to a dream-scenario 7-0 start so far in this young Newfoundland and Labrador Major Midget Hockey League campaign. They took three games against the Central Ice Pak, two versus the East Coast Blizzard, and a pair over the Tri Pen Osprey.
Thomas, a third-year centre with the club, began playing hockey when he was four years old. When asked his favourite part of the game, he says “everything.”
He thought trying out for the Kings as a rookie two years ago would provide him with a good opportunity to move on to junior A — “or somewhere like that” — next season.
“The first two years were all right,” he said. “This year really seems like it’s going a lot better.”
A key element of the Kings early success has been their propensity for filling the opposing goal.
The five-foot-10, 150-pounder has been a big part of that, currently sitting second overall in league scoring with 11 points (2G-9A), one behind linemate Liam Smith (8G-4A). In total, the Kings have racked up 42 goals in their seven games, while surrendering only 15.
Thomas believes the large number of third-year players on the roster has given them the kind of chemistry only familiarity can breed. He and Smith, in particular, are in their third year on the same line. A glance at a scoresheet shows, if Thomas lights the lamp, Smith is usually in on it, and vice versa.
“We’re just clicking, really,” he said, noting the team’s ability so far to avoid the weekend splits that tripped them up frequently last season has also been huge.
After their so-called idle weekend, the Kings will look ahead to a weekend road trip to St. John’s to tangle with the Maple Leafs. Though the Leafs face off against the Osprey this coming weekend, they are currently the only other undefeated team in the league at 4-0.
“Oh yeah,” Thomas said enthusiastically in anticipation of the impending showdown with St. John’s.
“It should be tough,” he said. “It always is, really.”
He’s just hoping they can keep the winning streak going as long as possible.
“That’s really the main thing.”
