When you talk about a late bloomer, you’re talking about Logan Thompson. His NHL career appeared to be over before it ever started. Undrafted following four seasons with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, he took the road that usually means the pro hockey dream is over, playing Canadian university hockey for the Brock Badgers.

With the Badgers in 2018-19, Thompson was 18-6-0 with a 2.22 goals-against average and .934 save percentage. He was named U Sports rookie of the year and goaltender of the year. By 2020, he was signing a two-way entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.

In 2020-21, Thompson won the Aldege 'Baz" Bastien Memorial Award as the American Hockey League's outstanding goaltender. He was also named to the 2020-21 AHL All-Rookie Team and to the Pacific Division All-Star Team. That season with the Henderson Silver Knights he was 16-6-1 with a 1.96 GAA and a .943 save percentage.

Thompson’s NHL debut with the Golden Knights was a brief eight-minute mop-up appearance on March 10, 2021. Taking over for Marc-Andre Fleury during a 4-3 Loss to the Wild, Thompson stopped both shots he faced. Vegas scored twice after Thompson entered the game, nearly rallying to tie the contest.

Thompson would make his first NHL start on January 4, 2022, losing 3-2 to the Nashville Predators. His first NHL win came in his next appearance on February 20, 2022. Thompson made 35 stops in beating the San Jose Sharks 4-1. He was the first U Sports goalie to start an NHL game in more than 30 years. His first NHL shutout was a 22-save, 3-0 whitewashing of the Seattle Kraken on March 30, 2022. 

He would represent Canada at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, winning a silver medal. 

The following season, Thompson would win the Golden Knights No. 1 goalie role out of training camp following injuries to Robin Lehner and Laurent Brossoit. He’d open the season with eight wins in his first 10 games, tying Fleury’s 2017-18 club mark for the most wins through the first 10 games of a season.  

Thompson would become the first Golden Knights rookie to be selected to play in the All-Star Game. He was also the first rookie goaltender in the NHL All-Star Game since Anaheim’s John Gibson in 2016. A lower-body injury would scuttle much of the rest of Thompson’s season and he watched from the sidelines as Adin Hill backstopped the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup.

The 2023-24 season again saw Hill and Thompson battling for the No. 1 goalie role in Vegas. Thompson’s strong play late in the season helped Vegas qualify for the playoffs. He started the first four games of the postseason, but ultimately gave way to Hill as Vegas lost in seven games to the Dallas Stars.

After the season, Thompson requested a trade. He was accommodated, going to the Capitals in exchange for third-round picks in the 2024 and 2025 NHL entry drafts.