Be A Player: Rewind | Steve Thomas
Amid Steve Thomas' final NHL season, the player of 1,235 NHL games and 933 points talks going from undrafted to playing for his hometown team of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Steve Thomas
1,235 NHL GP (TOR, CHI, NYI, NJD, ANA, DET)
421 G, 512 A, 933 PTS
The year was 2004, the host was Brett Lindros, and the player was Steve Thomas.
Originally aired March 3, 2004, this episode features Thomas in his final NHL season – and only one with the Detroit Red Wings.
Born in England and raised in Markham, Ontario, Thomas played in 1,235 NHL games while scoring 933 points over his career – marks that rank him 96th and 103rd all-time in those league categories, respectively.
Affectionately known as "Stumpy", Thomas who went undrafted, got to make his NHL debut with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. He played with the club for three seasons before joining the Chicago Blackhawks, with stops with the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils in between rejoining the Maple Leafs in 1998-99 for another three seasons.
After departing Toronto for another stint in Chicago, Thomas suited up for the club then known as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to finish the 2002-03 season after being traded from the Blackhawks. He scored 13 points in 12 regular-season games before helping the club to the Stanley Cup Finals with eight points – including three game-winners over 21 postseason outings. He points to the experience as one of the most memorable moments of his NHL career.
Thomas closed out his career with the Detroit Red Wings, playing in 44 games and scoring 22 points in 2003-04 with his final goal coming in his final regular-season NHL game, played April 3, 2004. His final NHL outing came that postseason in the Stanley Cup Playoffs May 3 in the second round against the Calgary Flames.
Then and now
Thomas hit the silver screen in 1986 alongside Rob Lowe and Keanue Reeves in the movie Youngblood, and is memorably towel-snapped by Patrick Swayze. He also appeared on the fifth season of CBC's Dragons' Den to pick "Zeo Green", a company specializing in green products, of which he is a key investor
Most recently, Thomas also worked for the St. Louis Blues as an assist coach in 2016-17.