Tage Thompson

Tage Nathaniel Thompson (born October 30, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey player who is a center and alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). Thompson was selected 26th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL entry draft, with whom he played one season before being traded to the Sabres. Thompson played his collegiate hockey at the University of Connecticut.

Early life Thompson's father, Brent Thompson, is a Canadian former NHL player and was a long time ECHL, AHL and NHL assistant coach starting with his first team the AHL Riverman from 2005-2009, in Peoria, Illinois. His mother, Kimberly Oliver Thompson, is from Phoenix, Arizona. His younger brother, Tyce, is a forward for Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and had a brief NHL stint with the New Jersey Devils.

Thompson was born in Phoenix, Arizona, attending 11 different schools throughout the U.S. before his accelerated graduation from Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the request of the University of Connecticut. During his time in Peoria, Illinois, Thompson won the NIHL 2008-2009 Pee Wee Elite title with his Peoria Youth Hockey Association team.

Playing career After playing in the U.S. National Development Team in the United States Hockey League, Thompson embarked on a collegiate career with Connecticut in the Hockey East conference. Thompson appeared in all 36 games during his freshman season at UConn in 2015–16 and was second on the team with 32 points on 14 goals and 18 assists. He also led the nation with 14 power play goals.

In the 2016–17 season, and after his selection by the Blues in the draft, Thompson appeared in 34 games with the Huskies as a sophomore. He missed two games while participating with Team USA in the IIHF World Junior Championship in Canada which resulted in Thompson earning his second Gold Medal. During his 34 games, Thompson led the Huskies with 19 goals and 32 points. After the completion of the Huskies season, Thompson concluded his collegiate career and signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the St. Louis Blues on March 7, 2017. He immediately joined the Blues affiliate, the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, on an amateur tryout contract for the remainder of the 2016–17 season.

Thompson made his NHL debut in the Blues' first game of the 2017–18 season against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 4, 2017. He played four NHL games before being sent down to the San Antonio Rampage on October 13. He was recalled to the NHL on December 18, and scored his first NHL goal three days later, in a 3–2 loss against the Edmonton Oilers.

On July 1, 2018, he was part of a trade by the Blues that sent Patrik Berglund, Vladimír Sobotka, a 2019 first-round draft pick, and a 2021 second-round draft pick to the Buffalo Sabres for Ryan O'Reilly.

On October 5, 2020, as a restricted free agent, Thompson signed a three-year, $4.2 million contract extension with the Sabres.

Entering the 2021–22 season with low expectations for the Sabres, Thompson enjoyed a breakout season playing on the top line with Jeff Skinner and new acquisition Alex Tuch. He tallied his first career hat-trick on February 19, 2022, in a 5–3 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He finished the season with 38 goals and 68 points in 78 games. On August 30, Thompson signed a seven-year, $50 million contract extension with the Sabres.

Thompson (right) in a game against the Seattle Kraken in 2022. On October 31, 2022, Thompson scored a hat-trick and tallied three assists in an 8–3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. He was the sixth player in franchise history to collect six points in a game, and he did so again a little over one month later. On December 7, against the Columbus Blue Jackets, he scored five goals in a game including four in the first period, becoming the fourth player in NHL history to do so. He added an assist for a total of six points. His five goals also tied the Sabres franchise record for goals in a game, joining Dave Andreychuk. He also became only the second American-born player to score five times in a game; the first one, Mark Pavelich, did it 39 years before Thompson.

In January 2023, he was named to the 2023 NHL All Star Game, the first of his career, but would be replaced by defenseman Rasmus Dahlin due to injury. On February 23, Thompson became the first Sabres player to record four hat-tricks in a season since Drew Stafford in 2010–11, doing so in a 6–5 overtime win versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. Three days later, on February 26, he scored in a 7–4 win against the Washington Capitals, becoming a 40-goal scorer for the first time in his career, and the first player to do so for the Sabres since Jeff Skinner in 2018–19. Later in the season, he became the first Sabres player to record 90 points in a season since Daniel Brière did so in 2006–07, picking up an assist in a 2–1 loss to the Florida Panthers. In , his output per game dropped by 35% from the previous season, scoring 56 points in 71 games.

Leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympics during the 2025–26 season, Thompson had scored eight goals and seven assists in 12 games, including scoring a hat trick against the Montreal Canadiens. Overall, he scored 59 points with 30 goals and 29 assists in 57 games prior to the Olympic break.

International play

Thompson represented the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded six goals and three assists in ten games. During the 2025 IIHF World Championship final he scored the game-winning overtime goal against Switzerland and helped Team USA win their first gold medal since 1933.

On January 2, 2026, he was named to Team USA's roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics at which he won a gold medal with Team USA. He injured his foot in the game against Slovakia, but still played in the final game against Canada two days later. During the preliminary round, Thompson had two goals in three games, and was tied with forwards Brock Nelson and Brady Tkachuk.

Amid online backlash faced by the men's Olympic hockey team regarding the inclusion of FBI director Kash Patel during their gold medal celebrations and members of the team laughing at President Trump's comments of being impeached if he did not invite the women's team to the White House, Thompson was among the majority who visited with the president and attended the State of the Union. Thompson was also photographed wearing a Make America Great Again hat with press secretary Karoline Leavitt, during the team's visit. When questioned about his and the team's reactions, Thompson stated that it was a huge honor to play for the national team and that everyone has their own opinions, while describing the following 72 hours after the game as a lot of fun and a whirlwind.

Personal life Thompson and teammates posing with House Speaker Mike Johnson during visit to the White House in February 2026Thompson is a Christian. He married his wife Rachel in July 2021 after the pair met in college, with the pair having three children between 2022 and 2025. Thompson's wife was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma in 2018, and he highlighted his continued positivity and their relationship for the couple navigating her diagnosis.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2013–14 P.A.L. Jr. Islanders 16U AAA USPHL 16 17 14 31 8 — — — — — 2014–15 U.S. NTDP Juniors USHL 25 7 7 14 20 — — — — — 2014–15 U.S. NTDP U18 USDP 64 12 14 26 32 — — — — — 2015–16 University of Connecticut HE 36 14 18 32 12 — — — — — 2016–17 University of Connecticut HE 34 19 13 32 24 — — — — — 2016–17 Chicago Wolves AHL 16 1 1 2 2 10 2 1 3 4 2017–18 St. Louis Blues NHL 41 3 6 9 12 — — — — — 2017–18 San Antonio Rampage AHL 30 8 10 18 4 — — — — — 2018–19 Buffalo Sabres NHL 65 7 5 12 20 — — — — — 2018–19 Rochester Americans AHL 8 6 3 9 4 3 2 0 2 2 2019–20 Rochester Americans AHL 16 6 6 12 8 — — — — — 2019–20 Buffalo Sabres NHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2020–21 Buffalo Sabres NHL 38 8 6 14 17 — — — — — 2021–22 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 38 30 68 37 — — — — — 2022–23 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 47 47 94 39 — — — — — 2023–24 Buffalo Sabres NHL 71 29 27 56 43 — — — — — 2024–25 Buffalo Sabres NHL 76 44 28 72 35 — — — — — 2025–26 Buffalo Sabres NHL 81 40 41 81 35 13 5 10 15 22 NHL totals 529 216 190 406 238 13 5 10 15 22

International

Awards, honors, and records Award Year RefCollege Hockey East Third All-Star Team 2017 NHL NHL All-Star Game 2023

Records NHL Most goals in one period (4, tied with 16 others) Buffalo Sabres Most goals in one game (5, tied with Dave Andreychuk)