Ben Thomas (ice hockey)

Ben Thomas
Thomas with the Syracuse Crunch in 2017
Born	(1996-05-28) May 28, 1996 (age 29) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	187 lb (85 kg; 13 st 5 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Right
team Former teams	Free agent Tampa Bay Lightning Leksands IF Växjö Lakers Tappara Iserlohn Roosters HK Poprad
NHL draft	119th overall, 2014 Tampa Bay Lightning
Playing career	2016–present

Ben Thomas (born May 28, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently an unrestricted free agent who most recently played with HK Poprad in the Slovak Extraliga (Slovak). ^[1]

Playing career

Thomas was selected by the Tampa Bay Lightning, 119th overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, while playing major junior hockey with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League (WHL).

Following the conclusion of his final junior season, finishing second amongst defenseman in scoring on the Vancouver Giants, Thomas was signed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 23, 2016. ^[2] Thomas immediately joined AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, and made his professional debut to end the 2015–16 season, recording 4 points in 8 regular season games.

After the expiration of his entry-level contract, he re-signed with Tampa Bay on a one-year, two-way contract on October 12, 2020. ^[3]

On April 4, 2021, Thomas skated in his first career NHL game against the Detroit Red Wings at Amalie Arena. ^{[4] [5]}

As a free agent from the Lightning after six seasons within the organization, Thomas opted to pursue a career abroad, agreeing to a one-year contract with Swedish top flight club, Leksands IF of the SHL, on August 25, 2021. ^[6] In the 2021–22 season, Thomas made 32 appearances with Leksands however was unable to make an impact in recording just 3 points. On February 10, 2022, he transferred mid-season to fellow SHL club, Växjö Lakers, for the remainder of the campaign. ^[7]

Continuing his European career, Thomas signed as a free agent to a one-year contract with Finnish club, Tappara of the Liiga, on August 18, 2022. ^[8] In the following 2022–23 season, Thomas was a fixture on the blueline with Tappara, appearing in 50 regular season games and contributing with 4 goals and 12 points. He added 5 points through 14 playoff games, helping Tappara claim their second consecutive Liiga title.

Leaving Tappara at the conclusion of his contract, Thomas agreed to a one-year contract with German club, Iserlohn Roosters of the DEL, on June 23, 2023. ^[9]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2012–13	Calgary Mustangs	AJHL		12	1	0	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Calgary Canucks	AJHL		32	4	3	7	33		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Calgary Hitmen	WHL		—	—	—	—	—		1	0	0	0	0
2013–14	Calgary Hitmen	WHL		72	7	24	31	39		6	1	5	6	13
2014–15	Calgary Hitmen	WHL		60	7	24	31	28		17	0	4	4	2
2015–16	Calgary Hitmen	WHL		14	0	3	3	10		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Vancouver Giants	WHL		60	8	17	25	40		—	—	—	—	—
2015–16	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		8	1	3	4	0		—	—	—	—	—
2016–17	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		71	3	18	21	30		22	5	8	13	12
2017–18	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		72	4	18	22	58		3	0	0	0	2
2018–19	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		67	2	14	16	24		4	0	0	0	2
2019–20	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		56	3	13	16	22		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Syracuse Crunch	AHL		16	1	8	9	10		—	—	—	—	—
2020–21	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		5	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Leksands IF	SHL		32	2	1	3	16		—	—	—	—	—
2021–22	Växjö Lakers	SHL		15	2	1	3	6		2	0	0	0	2
2022–23	Tappara	Liiga		50	4	8	12	53		14	1	4	5	31
2023–24	Iserlohn Roosters	DEL		45	2	11	13	27		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				5	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
SHL totals				47	4	2	6	22		2	0	0	0	2

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2014	Canada	U18			7	0	1	1	2
Junior totals					7	0	1	1	2

References

1. "Ben Thomas". Elite Prospects.
2. "Lightning sign defensman Ben Thomas to entry-level contract". Tampa Bay Lightning. March 23, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
3. "Tampa Bay Lightning re-sign Defenseman Ben Thomas". Syracuse Crunch. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
4. "Lightning's Ben Thomas: Making NHL debut". CBS Sports . April 4, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
5. "Red Wings use three-goal second period to defeat Lightning". NHL. April 4, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
6. "Ben Thomas signs with Leksands IF" (in Swedish). Leksands IF. August 25, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
7. "Welcome Ben Thomas!" (in Swedish). Växjö Lakers. February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
8. "Tappara sign Ben Thomas to one-year deal" (in Finnish). Tappara. August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
9. "Ben Thomas completes the Roosters defense" (in German). Iserlohn Roosters. June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 23, 2023.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com , or  The Internet Hockey Database