Former Bruins goalkeeper Tim Thomas has come a long way

Distanced from society and the hockey world since suddenly announcing his retirement in 2014, former Boston Bruins goalkeeper Tim Thomas is trying to reconnect with the sport he played.

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Since his announcement, Thomas has so isolated himself that he has come to hate hockey, one of which has been plagued by health issues due to the many concussions he has had during his career. He even severed ties with the vast majority of his entourage, especially those with whom he had close ties to on the ice. They include players who were part of the Bruins roster that won the Stanley Cup in 2011.

En 2019, Thomas est brièvement réapparu sur la scène publique pour la première fois depuis qu’il avait quitté le monde du hockey, quand il a accepté de faire une entrevue avec les médias au sujet de son intronisation au Temple de la renommée du hockey United State.

“About 16 months ago, I crossed over to the other side, if you can put it this way,” the 47-year-old told The Athletic earlier this month. The better off I am, the more I try to find fun things to do. I try to reconnect with the friends and acquaintances who have been a part of my life. “

“Now I’m taking this first small step in the public arena. It’s part of the reconnect I needed.”

virtual

Whoever became the oldest player to win the Conn Smythe Cup, which was awarded to the best player in the qualifiers when he was 37 years old for the conquest of Bruins, he managed to find some members of that team last summer. The Massachusetts State Formation had held a hypothetical reunion that was joined by the American doorman. Since that time, he has kept in touch with some of them, including striker Milan Lucic, who sent him a message of congratulations on the 1000.^e National League match.

The road home is still long for Thomas.

“When you are in a place like where you are, where you find it difficult to think, [à ce moment] You can understand, he added. Let’s just say my thoughts have become extremely negative. […] It is a process. It takes time to clarify your story when you are unable to think and have to rebuild that ability, so that you can finally put all of the puzzle pieces together. “

“It’s something I like to keep for myself until I’m ready to tell my story in full. I can’t really tell the world a story about what happened to me when I don’t fully understand it.”

One dose of hockey at a time

After spending 10 seasons on the Batman Tour, mainly with the Boston Bruins, but also with the Dallas Stars and the Florida Panthers, Thomas has quietly brought hockey back into his life.

Thomas, like Aston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk, as well as many NBA players, will release a virtual collection of collectibles featuring the former “Teddy Bear” to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Stanley Cup win. For the Michigan-born athlete, this was also an opportunity to celebrate his career, which he never did.

“It helps me appreciate my living experiences,” Thomas said. Over the past year, and not just because of virtual collectibles, it has helped me immensely in appreciating the experiences I had because of hockey, to appreciate the relationships I developed because of hockey. When you are where you have been, you underestimate everything that you have accomplished and undervalue everything that hockey has allowed you to try. “

“It’s starting to change. I can allow hockey to be a part of my life again.”

Thomas even started watching some games again in the comfort of his home with his son.

“I imagine I am an informal observer now. The more I find contact with my former team-mates, the more I feel I am quietly returning to this world, in some way.”