Wayne Thomas (ice hockey)
Robert Wayne "Twinky" Thomas (born October 9, 1947 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers.
Playing career
Thomas was traded by Toronto to the Los Angeles Kings in 1968 but was later traded to the Montreal Canadiens in 1970 and spent roughly 3 years in the AHL with the Canadiens minor league affiliate.
In 1972–73, in his first NHL pro start, Thomas recorded a 3–0 shutout versus the Vancouver Canucks on January 14, 1973. Thomas started a few games in goal right before the playoffs in order to give star netminder Ken Dryden a rest. Thomas did not dress for a playoff game. He was included on the Stanley Cup team picture, and given a Stanley Cup ring. However, Thomas did not play enough games to qualify to be engraved on the Stanley Cup. When Dryden decided to study law instead of tending goal Thomas played 42 games. However, Thomas was never really able to seriously contend for the starting goaltending position. In 1974–1975, Thomas was on the Canadiens' active roster for the entire season but did not play.
After his inactive 1974–75 campaign, Thomas was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is where Thomas finally enjoyed some level of success. He won 28 games and was chosen to participate in the annual NHL All-Star game. This success was short-lived, because the following season Thomas struggled, and his position was overtaken by another Leaf goalie, Mike Palmateer.
In 1977–78, Thomas was placed on waivers and claimed by the New York Rangers. Thomas continued his career with the New York Rangers for 4 more years until retiring in 1981.
Thomas now serves as the general manager of the Worcester Sharks. They are the AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks.
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| All-WCHA Second Team | 1969–70 | |