PROSPECT WATCH: Thompson Poised to Break Out

It was a comment at the end of an informative 15-minute chat with Brent Thompson that raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't stop (growing) until I was about 25," said the Bridgeport Sound Tigers head coach, who is the father of Devils prospect Tyce Thompson. "I think you'll see the same (with Tyce)."

Brent had a long career as a pro, including 121 Games with the Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets and Phoenix Coyotes. Once Brent, who just turned 50, stopped growing a quarter-century ago he was about 6'2", 210 pounds.
Brent and Linda Thompson's elder son, Tage, a winger with the Buffalo Sabres, was drafted five years ago by the St. Louis Blues. Tage was 6'5" back then. The Sabres now list him as 6'7".
Part of the reason Tyce Thompson went through the draft twice was because at 18 he was just 5'10". Two years later, his game had expanded at about the same rate as his body and the Devils saw enough potential to take him in the fourth round (96th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft.
Though now three inches taller, at 21, it's probably safe to assume that Tyce has lost the family height competition to Tage, who is two years older. But Dad could soon be relegated to third place behind both boys. (Social media photos suggest Tyce passed his Mom about five years ago.)
Talk of the future, of course, ignores what Tyce Thompson has already done. He had a breakout campaign in 2019-20 with 19 goals and 25 assists in 34 games. The pandemic and its restrictions seem to have contributed to more defensive, cautious play. At least for games involving Providence. As a result, Thompson is off those numbers as the calendar turned to February.
"I think that is part of it," said Thompson when asked about the low-scoring hockey involving his team, "but I also think it's just really competitive in college hockey."
According to Friars head coach Nate Leaman, who recently led the U.S. to a World Junior gold medal at, he can sense a break-out for both Thompson and the team in general.
"We are starting to get going here," said Leaman, just before his team lost a pair of low-scoring shootouts to UMass two weekends ago. "We have (Tyce) playing in all situations and you can tell he's going to do that, about to break out."
Last weekend, Thompson scored the tying marker in an eventual 3-2 win over the University of New Hampshire. Fellow Devils prospect Patrick Moynihan drew an assist on that goal. A day earlier, the Friars downed UNH 5-1, with Moynihan scoring in that game, and Thompson having a team-high five shots on goal. With seven third-period goals over the weekend, it was a clear sign that Thompson, Moynihan, and the rest of Leaman's squad could be shaking off the scoring malaise.
Brent Thompson makes a point of watching all his sons' games. The veteran coach has also noticed a change in the style of play and his son being on the cusp of putting up more points.
"He's a good 200-foot player, in transition, I really like his support (of the puck)," said the elder Thompson. "Those (qualities) translate well to the pro game…but he's close (offensively), he's had a couple of missed breakaways (in recent games). He'll get there."
And speaking of getting there, the eventual arrival of Tyce in the pro ranks seems just a matter of time. Brent Thompson became a coach very soon after retiring, so it has been quite a journey. The boys have moved around. A lot. There have been stops all over, from Louisville to Alaska.
Asked what he considers his hometown, Tyce paused:
"I usually say Calgary because that's where I was born," before qualifying "but that may change in a few years, it kind of depends on when you ask."
Brent Thompson was also born in Calgary, Tage and Linda in her hometown of Phoenix. Stories of hybrid Canadian-American NHL families are as old as Lester Patrick. Brent points to Tyce's ability to adapt to all the different environments and then settling down in Connecticut as key to both boys' developments.
"He's always been able to make new friends and see new teammates because he's had to, " said Brent Thompson, pointing out that one the stops on the minor hockey carousel of minor hockey included Tyce playing with Brady Tkachuk, now of the Ottawa Senators.
"That's pro hockey. You have to learn to adapt."