Thompson‘s excellence gets recognized
by Don Klepp | Added 2011-05-25
A quiet leader, Adam Thompson has been an integral part of the Viper success in each of his three years with the Vipers.
The morning after Vernon’s tough loss to Pembroke in this year’s RBC Cup final, Adam was understandably subdued, but he was philosophical about this season: “We overcame a lot of things this year. No one expected us to go this far – we were tagged with the ‘rebuilding’ word. But as things progressed, the older guys knew we could do it again. Everybody got on the same page and we just worked together. If you pay attention to detail under Ferns’s system, anything can happen.”
A big part of the team’s success has been Adam’s steady play punctuated by moments of brilliance. He played big minutes for the Vipers during the recent playoff run, despite having a sore, badly swollen foot caused by a shot block. Possibly the league’s best penalty killer, Adam has excelled at helping his goaltender by blocking shots, tying up forwards, and clearing loose pucks.
At this year’s RBC Cup, Adam was named top defensive player and selected to the tournament all star team. Earlier, he received the single RBC scholarship awarded to a BCHL player. That award is based on academic standing, community involvement, and ability to explain how one’s hockey involvement has fostered employability skills such as positive attitude, responsibility, and team work.
He downplayed these personal achievements – “It’s kind of surreal. Getting selected at the RBC was important for my career and I appreciate the recognition, but I’d trade all that for that final win. That’s what we all wanted. Everyone worked so hard and I think the Vipers deserved to win that final game. But sometimes things don’t work put the way you want. That’s life.”
It’s interesting that Adam is now seen as a shutdown defender because he came to the Vipers with a reputation as an offensive defenceman. His big slap shot quickly earned him the nickname, “Tommy Gun,” especially after he scored with a slapper on his very first BCHL shot on goal.
Nearly all of his 27 goals for the Vipers have come from blasts from the point or from the top of the circle. In the 2009-10 season, he probably could have scored 20 such goals, but shot after shot rang off the cross bar or goal posts.
Next year he will take that big shot and his sterling defensive play to Yale University. He had the option of going this year, but opted to return for one more year of seasoning at the Jr. “A” level. He admits that he wouldn’t mind a fourth year in Vernon: “It’s been a great experience, but the three years have gone by in a blur. I’m going to miss Vernon. It’s my second home. Actually, I can see myself retiring to Vernon down the road.”
In the meantime, he can expect a significant role with the Yale Bulldogs. “The coaches tell me that they’re graduating some defencemen this year, so there will be openings. They want me to be a steady D-man. I’ll be an older freshman, so they expect me to provide some leadership on the back end, especially after my experiences at the Telus Cup and the RBC Cup.
At Yale, he will live in residence with randomly selected members of the student population. He says that “Yale stresses a family philosophy, so I’ll get a chance to meet other students, not just hockey players.”
His first year will be in mandated general studies, which will give him time to select a major. “I expect that I’ll have an epiphany, a ‘light bulb moment,’ that will help me decide what to study. That happens to a lot of students, I hear.”
One thing is certain – when the Viper scouting staff saw Adam play Midget hockey and recruited him, their ‘light bulb moment’ was an important discovery for the Vipers.
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