Jim Thomson was born on December 30, 1965, in Edmonton, Alberta. He grew up in a family with nine siblings, which meant that resources for extra-curriculars were sparse. Jim’s first memory of playing hockey is from when he was six years old and one of his friends lent him his dad’s skates. Of course, the skates were too big, but that didn’t matter to Jim; he immediately figured out how to skate and his love for the sport took hold.
Jim continued to borrow equipment and would often wear extra socks to fill out skates that were many sizes too big for him. After a few years of skating circles around the neighborhood kids, Jim’s parents were able to pull together just enough money for him to try out for the minor hockey team. He was only on the ice for a few minutes before he was told that he had made the team.
When he was 16, Jim journeyed to Ontario to try out for the Ontario Hockey League, specifically the Toronto Marlboros. He went on to play one season for the Markham Waxers, Devon Dynamiters (AAHA), and two for the Marlboros, which paved the way for his future in the NHL.
In 1984, the NHL came calling and Jim was drafted in the ninth round, 185th overall, by the Washington Capitals. In November 1986, Jim was called up from the Binghamton Whalers, the Capitals’ feeder club, to make his NHL debut. This wasn’t an ordinary call-up, he had a very particular assignment: guard against emerging hockey legend Mario Lemieux. During his NHL debut, Jim held Lemieux to a scoreless game, which was an incredible feat.
Jim would go on to spend two seasons with the Washington Capitals before being traded to the Hartford Whalers, and then to the New Jersey Devils in 1990. His time with the Devils was short, and the following year, Jim signed with the Los Angeles Kings as a free agent. This began a very interesting period in Jim’s career. He is the only player to have been selected in three straight NHL expansion drafts: in 1991 he went to the Minnesota North Stars, in 1992 he was selected by the Ottawa Senators, and in 1994 he went to the Anaheim Ducks. This NHL record he still holds to this day.
What makes this even more interesting is that the Los Angeles Kings brought him back twice, first from the North Stars, and again from the Senators. This was no coincidence; his 1992 return to the Kings was prompted by teammate Wayne Gretzky insisting he come back. Of course, Jim was an excellent protector for Gretzky on the ice, but it was his positive dressing room contribution that really drove the request. Known as a character player, Jim was able to loosen things up behind the scenes, keep an even-headed and fair approach to challenging matters, and added a physicality on the ice, should it be required. He was a natural team builder, a dependable person, and a mindful listener: foundational and lifelong characteristics that would remain associated with his name.
His second return to the Kings meant that he was part of the 1993 Stanley Cup run. The team made it to the finals where they were ultimately defeated by the Montreal Canadiens. The following season Jim was part of the expansion draft that saw the creation of the Anaheim Ducks. In an unfortunate turn of events, shortly after joining the Ducks, Jim received news that his NHL career as he knew it was over due to previous shoulder injuries.
During his time in the NHL, Jim played for six NHL teams for a total of 115 games. He was very tough on the ice, as evidenced by his total of 416 penalty minutes while in the league.
Coming to terms with forced retirement was very challenging. Jim went through long periods of depression which led to severe addiction issues. The overwhelming reality that this important chapter was ending prompted a desire to, in Jim’s words, “numb the pain that the dream [was] over”.
In November of 2007, he realized the destructive nature of his habits, not only to himself, but more importantly to his children. Twenty-one years, to the month, after his NHL debut, Jim decided to turn his life around, and was ready for his next chapter.
While the NHL has the power to change lives, Jim Thomson soon realized that he had the ability to help save them. He began a career as a motivational speaker, life-coach, mentor, and founded the organization Jim Thomson’s Dreams Do Come True. He continues to work with at-risk people behind the scenes, which often means participating in life-saving interventions. Jim had more than his share of fights on the ice, but literacy, hunger, homelessness, and addiction are the causes that Jim now helps to battle.
Jim and his wife Rita moved to Aurora in 2009 with their children Emma, Natalie, James, Jonathan and Matthew. In 2015, they purchased the Aurora Tigers Junior A Hockey Club and immediately started working to re-energize the franchise. Since day one, Jim has shown a strong commitment to individual team members; of course, he is invested in their development as hockey players, but he cares equally, if not more, about how they develop as people. In 2018, Jim and the Aurora Tigers welcomed the Humboldt Broncos as special guests for an episode of Hometown Hockey. This gesture is one example of thousands where Jim strives to bring people together, bring out their best, and make a positive impact.
In recognition of his excellence in hockey, we are proud to welcome Jim Thomson as part of the 2023 class of inductees into the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame.
