Thompson Staying On Olympic Radar, Heading To World Championships

One of the few bright spots of the Buffalo Sabres 2024-25 season has been the resurgence of Tage Thompson. After scoring a career-high 47 goals two years ago, the big forward’s numbers dipped to 29 last season, mostly due to a broken hand blocking a shot. The 27-year-old was considered a longshot to play for Team USA at the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, but he was added as an injury replacement at the end of the tournament.

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With 44 goals this season, Thompson has re-entered the discussion for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy, next February, and is something that the Arizona native is hoping to be considered for.

"(The Olympics would) be an awesome thing to be selected for, and something that's definitely a goal of mine," Thompson said on Tuesday. "(I'd) be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it quite a bit."

Thompson indicated that he will be heading to Sweden and Denmark to join Team USA for the 2025 IIHF World Championships next month.

“I think that'll be just another good stepping stone to try to continue to build off of a decent year and continue to grow that confidence and round out my game," Thompson said. "Anytime you throw on that USA jersey, it's a huge honor, so to be able to go over there and compete for something will be exciting."

Thompson’s chances of making the Olympic squad are better with his ability to play both center and on the wing, as well as his big shot, which can be utilized in power play. Team USA’s roster is likely to go through some tweaks after the loss to Canada at the Four Nations. Players like Brock Nelson and Chris Kreider could be aged out in favor of a smaller, speedier forward like Montreal’s Cole Caufield or Thompson, depending on what direction the Americans want to go in.