ARLINGTON, VA -- When Logan Thompson makes his debut in net for the Washington Capitals, he'll do so against a host of familiar faces. Thompson is set to get his first start of the season on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, his former team, three months after a draft-day trade sent him to Washington.
As he looks for a fresh start in the District, Thompson acknowledged that a win against the Golden Knights would hold special meaning, though his primary focus is on starting well with his new team.
"You're always going to be a little extra motivated to play your former team, but I think I'm just excited to get a first game here in the Caps jersey and hopefully help get the guys two points tomorrow," Thompson said Monday, later noting, "I still think I have a lot more to prove. This is just game one for me here as a Capital, and I'm hoping for many more years to be a Capital."
Head coach Spencer Carbery reaffirmed Thompson's enthusiasm for the start, though he pointed out it could swing his performance in either direction.
"I will caution him to channel that because, as we know, once the puck drops, you can be as fired up and excited as you want, but if you don't have a level head and you're doing the things necessary that you need to go through your progressions -- if you want something so bad, sometimes it goes the other way," he said. "But he's the type of guy that he's a fiery guy and loves to compete, and so this will be no different for him."
Thompson spent parts of four seasons with the Golden Knights, where he was part of the club's Stanley Cup-winning squad in 2023, though a lower-body injury kept him out of that postseason run. He represented Vegas as a rookie in the 2023 All-Star Game and later earned eighth place in Calder Trophy voting.
During the 2023-24 campaign, his last with Vegas, Thompson posted a record of 25-14-5 in 46 starts, with a .908 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average.
A year after hoisting the Stanley Cup, Thompson's time with the Golden Knights ended on a difficult note: general manager Kelly McCrimmon revealed after the June deal that Thompson had asked for a trade in the hopes of capturing a more prominent role elsewhere. Thompson later garnered attention early in Training Camp when speaking on Vegas' defense-heavy style of play, joking about the contrast with Washington's system.
"Yeah, I guess Vegas takes all the credit for goaltending over there, right?" he said then. "I'm curious to see how different it will be and if I can even play in the league."
Still, Thompson confirmed Monday that the remark was made in jest, praising the Golden Knights and McCrimmon.
"I'm just making the joke," he said. "I think it's good to have some personality in the game. Obviously, I'm competitive, and they know that, but it's all love towards that organization. In the end, it was just a joke."
He noted, "I have a good relationship with Kelly McCrimmon. He's known me since I was 14. I think we were just at two different points: me being still younger in my career, I just wanted a different opportunity and Kelly McCrimmon gave me that chance. Other than that, I'm very thankful to be a part of the Vegas Golden Knights at the time, and I'm a Stanley Cup champ because of that, but couldn't be more excited to be here and get things going here."
With all of that now in the rearview mirror, Thompson is ready for the new opportunity he wanted, and it just so happens that opportunity begins against many of the players he'd spent years alongside.
"It's a lot of mixed feelings, playing against your old team, a lot of good memories there that I'll have forever," he said. "So, like I said, just excited for tomorrow night, and I'm going to wait and see what happens."