He was never the most gifted. But he always “left everything on ice.” After an almost unlikely career that saw him play 930 NHL games with nine different clubs, Nate Thompson is packing his bags.
The American striker, who spent a season and a half with the Canadian, announced his retirement in recent days. “Since I was 4, hockey has been my life and my best friend,” he wrote on his Twitter account. At almost 39 years old, even if he knows that an inevitable mourning awaits him, he is at peace with his decision.
“I had always said to myself: the day I no longer want to train, it will be the time to stop, he explained to La Presse on Friday. I love going to the gym. But I was no longer sure that I wanted to do it like a hockey player. When I realized it, I knew it was over. »
He was already well aware that the NHL was no longer accessible to him. In 2021-22, with the Philadelphia Flyers, he was limited to 33 games, in which he had just three points but accumulated a -15 differential. He has long been labeled as a fourth-line player; despite everything, saving his post was becoming more and more difficult.
He gave himself one last chance to play at a high level by joining the Ontario Reign, an American League team led by his ex-teammate Marco Sturm. He readjusted to this circuit, which he hadn’t played full-time in 15 years.
He could probably have found a job, in Ontario or elsewhere. However, here he is today, the father of a 4-month-old daughter. The small family is established in Los Angeles. And almost two decades have passed since his first steps among professionals. “It was time to move on to another chapter,” he agreed. It’s been quite an adventure…”
Inhabited by a “mixture of emotions”, he suspects that the end of the summer will be difficult when, for the first time in ages, he does not go to a training camp.
He will miss hockey, but perhaps even more of his actors, whom he has had a blast meeting over the years. Teammates, coaches, therapists, support staff: he says he’s made “friends for life” everywhere he’s been. Which is no small feat considering that he has played in Boston, Long Island, Tampa, Anaheim, Ottawa, Los Angeles, Montreal, Philadelphia (twice) and Winnipeg. He still maintains friendships woven in Providence, where the Boston Bruins school club evolves. Organization he left in… 2008.
“I feel privileged to have met all these people. I cherish this chance that I had. »
The representative of La Presse did not hide his surprise, earlier this week, to hear the voice of the new retiree less than an hour after sending, on the off chance, an email to his agent.
“I’m a callback guy,” he laughed back.
During his time in Montreal, in 2019 and 2020, he had a big impact on his teammates, especially the younger ones. His stay, although barely a year long, left him with an unforgettable memory. “I totally immersed myself in the city and in the team,” he said. It was a privilege to wear this uniform. »
In a portrait of Thompson published in January 2020, Nick Suzuki, Ryan Poehling and Victor Mete spoke glowingly of the ascendancy that this veteran had over them. It was at the Canadiens that the nickname “Uncle Nate” was given to him. He had even, for a few matches, been appointed deputy captain.
He took pride, over time, in becoming a role model in the locker room.
Spontaneously, he recalls how Martin St-Louis, at the time, had been an inspiration to him in Tampa. “He was a big part of my development,” says Thompson.
“As a young player, you look at these guys, how they behave, how they work every day, how they prepare…I’ve become a sponge. I learned from them and tried to replicate it with young people. It is a natural evolution. »
However, a significant event is inseparable from his personal development.
In 2016, while playing for the Anaheim Ducks, he began a battle to overcome his addiction to alcohol and drugs. His addictions dated back to his late childhood, he revealed in an interview with Sportsnet.
This “choice of life” was not only a catalyst in his personal life: it literally revived his career, he believes. “I could never have played for so long. »
As time passes, his old demons become easier and easier to control. But the fight is never over. “I keep myself busy and do a lot of things to stay happy,” he says. And if I’m not feeling well, I try to be as open as possible. I hope it can help others too. »
It’s hardly a surprise to hear him use the word “adversity” to sum up his career. The one he had to overcome to make his place in this league, then to keep it. And the one he faced to regain control of his own life.
Thompson thus retires with the feeling of accomplishment. “I left everything on the ice. I think I can look back and say I have no regrets. »
He wants to stay in the hockey world, even if he does not yet know in what role.
With the impression he left behind across America, there will definitely be a place for Uncle Nate somewhere.
