When Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson was left off Team Canada for last season's 4 Nations Face-Off, he was not thrilled. St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington, yes, the same Jordan Binnington who tried to sneak off the puck after Alex Ovechkin scored his 900th career goal against him on Wednesday night, backboned Canada to the 4 Nations championship over Team USA in overtime last February.
This season, the NHL will shut down in February for the Olympics, and Thompson is expected to be in the mix for a roster spot along with Binnington and Adin Hill of the San Jose Sharks. He should be on the team, and he probably should have been on the team back in February.
Early this season, Thompson is off to a good start for a Capitals team that enters Saturday night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 6-3-0 record, a 1.45 goals-against average, and a .938 save percentage. That is good enough to be second in the league behind Jonathan Quick of the New York Rangers, who is 3-1-0 with a 1.26 GAA and a .950 SV%. Why is Thompson off to a good start this season? NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shed some light on a possible reason.
Elliotte Friedman drops hint at Logan Thompson's strong start to 2025-26
Friedman, in his latest 32 Thoughts, suggested that Thompson's start to the season for Washington is motivation for not being selected for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off last year.
"Logan Thompson’s off to a dynamite start for Washington. He wasn’t selected to the 4 Nations because Canada wasn’t certain he’d handle being the backup. I’d heard the snub motivated him to prove that wouldn’t be case, that he wanted to be in the conversation and was prepared to talk to the selectors about it. (No confirmation, but I’ve heard there was communication.) Jordan Binnington is a lock, and deserves to be unless he completely craters off the face of the earth. After that, there are questions, especially since word is Adin Hill is out a few months. I think Thompson is a contender, on merit,'' Friedman wrote.
If Thompson had a beef, it would be directed at Boston Bruins GM Don Sweeney, who was the GM for Canada for the 4 Nations. You get the feeling that Thompson felt snubbed for the tournament and is carrying a big chip on his shoulder for that this year.
He is making a strong case to be part of the Olympic team in February, and if he does have a chip on his shoulder, then the Capitals could greatly benefit this year as he continues to play at the level he has through his first nine starts to the season.