After 8 years of periodic and sometimes constant string of greatness in Boston, Tim Thomas left the town that had provided him with a Stanley Cup Ring as a disgraced man. Had Timmy retired following the Cup win or played out the last few years of his career without making headlines, the accusations of him being a quitter would never have surfaced. Sports fans have short and biased memories and while in some cases that can be a good thing when the last three memories a town has of you are negative, your legacy will likely be tainted.
Such was the case with Tim Thomas.
When he announced via Twitter that he was set to take a 1 year sabbatical back in June to 2012, Thomas was just a few days removed from what for over a year would serve as the last moment of NHL action: that miserable sliver of OT action when Joel Ward potted a rebound and ended the Bruins Stanley Cup Defense.
That goal was not Tim Thomas' fault but as Bruins fans watched Thomas linger for just a second you ought to wonder: did he then understand that at that point his career might (by his choice) be over? But regardless of what he thought, it nearly was as after the Bruins fell just short in the finals Thomas eluded to the fact that Boston's Cup Run was one of the few factors that helped him in his decision to return to hockey.
“You know what really gave me the itch? Watching the playoffs,” Thomas was quoted as saying in an ESPN Boston report published back on September 17th “Actually, over the last season I didn’t watch hockey at all. But then when it came playoff time, I started to watch some hockey and it started to get the competitiveness juices flowing and I saw my former team, the Boston Bruins, and the success they had and I was so proud of those guys and what they did, what they accomplished last year, but it started to get the competitiveness juices flowing again.”
To that point, Tim Thomas had vanished in Colorado starting a real-estate business and doing just what he intended to do when he announced his hiatus. That is spending time with his family and reconnecting with friends he had lost while travelling with the Bruins.
But nevertheless, he eluded to the fact that the Bruins made him want to play again. Even when most everybody thought he was done playing pro hockey, Tim Thomas found within him the energy for 1 more year.
“I got tired and I needed a break,” Thomas said. “Now I’m energized and I’m looking forward to it. I feel great.”
9 days after that ESPN article was released, Tim Thomas signed a 1 year 2,500,000$ contract with the Florida Panthers.
From then on, Bruins fans counted down the days until they would get to play their former goalie again. But as they watched, it became clear that old Timmy was not the goalie he used to be. After allowing 2 goals in his Panthers debut back on October 3rd, Thomas was pulled in game two as he allowed 5 goals through the first 39 minutes of the game then he was yanked in game 3 after just 7 minutes in which he allowed 2 goals.
But nevertheless, when Tim Thomas returns to Beantown, it will without a doubt be fun...in a weird sort of way.
"Maybe we'll fight!" current goalie: Tuukka Rask said with a smile.
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