| Aidan Thompson | Lincoln Stars | USHL | L | F | 5’11” | 176 | Denver | 2022 | Fort Collins, CO | 2002 | 2021-2022: C |
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, November 2021: I’ve been intrigued by Aidan’s offensive instincts since I saw him playing for the Thunderbirds years ago. At that point he mostly a pure speed kid who would make plays because not many in his age group could skate like him. That kind of continued into prep hockey, but I started noticing more grit and compete… especially in the 2019-20 New England Prep tournament when he played on a broken ankle. Well this year I really like what I’ve seen so far. He still has the dynamic speed, but he’s showing more game awareness by using changes in speed and then using his edges to escape to create space and / or passing lanes. I also think he’s showing leadership and confidence in the defensive zone. As the low man he’s working with his defensemen and he seems to know that his biggest asset when defending is using his speed and quickness to overwhelm opponents into turnovers. I think he may be a long shot to be drafted, but a smart team should be looking at Sean Farrell’s success and seeing a similar trajectory for Aidan. To me, he would be a great mid / late round pick because he’s going into Denver next Fall and you might really have an offensive weapon in your organization when he’s finishing his sophomore year in the Spring of 2024.
USHL: Lincoln Stars vs Des Moines Buccaneers, November 12, 2021: In the 5-4 Lincoln win Thompson earned 20:31 in total ice time, including 4:37 while on the power play and 2:34 while shorthanded. Statistically he finished with 1 assist, was +1, had 6 shots on goal (3PP), 4 grade “A” scoring chances, 2 penalty minutes, won 7 of 14 face-offs, had 1 blocked shot and 8 giveaways versus 1 takeaway. Thompson is not slowed down by the puck. He has the ability to zig and zag while his his eyes are up and a defender is hanging on him. Although he did get thrown to the ice in the first period we feel his low center of gravity and core strength allows him to make plays through contact. He has a nice wide base with a deep knee bend that seems to give the Des Moines defenders difficulty while trying to contain him in the corners. We stated earlier in the season that we will be watching for Thompson to one-time hard or awkward pass, tonight he had a bullet from the high slot that came on a rocket of a pass.
USHL: Lincoln Stars vs Waterloo Black Hawks, October 22, 2021: In the 3-2 Stars win Thompson earned 20:05 in total ice time, including 5:15 while on the power play and 2:10 while shorthanded. Statistically he finished with 2 assists, was +2, had 1 shot on goal, 2 grade “A” scoring chances, 2 penalty minutes, won 11 of 17 face-offs and had 3 giveaways versus 3 takeaways. Thompson’s primary assist on Lincoln’s first goal was a thing of beauty. As a lefty he worked the strong side and darts to the net looking to shoot of has a one-timer as a the bumper and the weakside dot lane. On this play he drove through the face-off dot towards the strongside post sucking the Waterloo killers towards him. He then gave a beautiful no look cross royal road pass for a clean one-timer goal. Although an offensive presence all game, we feel like Thompson should begin eating opponent’s up as a he gets more familiar with his power play positioning.
USHL: Lincoln Stars vs Fargo Force, October 16, 2021: In the 5-4 loss to Fargo Thompson earned 19:57 in total ice time, including 5:19 while on the power play and 2:28 while shorthanded. Statistically he had 1 goal and 1 assist, was -1, had 4 shots on goal (3PP), 4 grade “A” scoring chances, won 11 of 18 face-offs and had 4 giveaways versus 2 takeaways. Thompson’s feet were electric. He showed one stride acceleration and explosiveness. Again we liked his release in traffic and ability to make the goalie move to make a save. One thing we will be watching for is Thompson’s ability to one-time pucks on poor passes. He had a glorious one-time power play opportunity, but the pass was behind him a bit so he did not one-time it which allowed the Fargo goalie to make an easy save. Still, Thompson was a threat all night.
USHL: Lincoln Stars vs Fargo Force, October 15, 2021: In the 4-2 Lincoln win Thompson earned 19:43 in total ice time, including 1:48 while on the power play and 1:28 while shorthanded. Statistically he finished with 1 secondary power play assist, 4 shots on goal (2PP), 2 grade “A” scoring opportunities, 2 minutes in penalties, won 13 of 20 face-offs, had 3 hits, 1 blocked shot and 5 giveaways versus 5 takeaways. Thompson showed a very nice release tonight. On off-wing opportunities he opened his hips and showed the core power to fire sweeping wristers that gave Fargo’s goalie some difficulty. He obviously had a better face-off percentage than our last viewing, but what we took away from this percentage was leadership and ability to tell his linemates their responsibility’s on a clean win or a loose 50/50 battle. As always his feet were quick and his strides were frequent.
USHL: Lincoln Stars vs Cedar Rapids Rough Riders, September 24, 2021: In the 1-0 loss to Cedar Rapids Thompson earned 18:28 in total ice time, including 2:05 while on the power play and 1:23 while shorthanded. Statistically he finished with 0 points, had an even plus / minus rating, had 6 shots on goal, 4 grade “A” scoring opportunities (1 in OT), won 6 of 17 face-offs, had 1 blocked shot and had 9 giveaways versus 4 takeaways. Although Thompson finished with zero points we feel he showed offensive creativity and was a threat to score throughout the game. He’s always been a player who had real speed, but we feel he showed the ability to be patient and use a change of pace as a puck carrier in this one. All game he delayed coming over the offensive blue line to find the second wave and in overtime he almost came to a standstill coming over the offensive blueline before exploding down his strong side wall for a great scoring opportunity. Offensively we expect Thompson to have a very impactful season for the Stars.
USHL: Lincoln Stars vs Tri-City Storm, January 2, 2021: Thompson earned 18:58 in total ice time including 7:22 on the power play and 1:16 while short handed. Statistically he finished with 1 goal on 4 shots, won 46% of his face-offs, one penalty and had 7 give aways compared to 5 take aways. Thompson was ready to play from the beginning, scoring in the opening minute of the 1st period, and although the Stars lost 5-1 we feel he had a bounce back performance compared to our last viewing in December. He was strong on the puck showing the ability to extend the offensive zone cycle through puck protection, not just speed. His stick was prepared and his snap shot showed real pop and deception. We liked his compete and second effort on loose pucks.
USHL: Lincoln Stars vs Fargo Force, December 4, 2020: Thompson earned 16:20 in total ice time, including 2:43 on the power play. Statistically he finished with 2 shots on goal, zero points, won 15% of his face-offs and had 6 give aways compared to 5 take aways. In this 5-3 loss Thompson was -2 with one being an empty netter after he was knocked down while trying to roll through the high slot and the other coming after he was knocked down in front of his net while trying to contain the cycle. Thompson played with his usual pace and pressured pucks all over the ice giving a maximum effort, but in our opinion this was not one of his better nights. The puck seemed to be bouncing on him and for the first time in our memory he was having a difficult time handling passes while at top speed through the neutral zone.
USHL: Lincoln Stars vs Des Moines Buccaneers, November 21, 2020: Thompson earned 17:23 in total ice time, including 6:12 on the power play. Statistically he finished with 1 goal on 5 shots, won 64% of his face-offs, he had 2 give aways compared to 6 take aways and finished the game +1. Thompson was a very noticeable Star in this one. As a puck carrier he was unpredictable using his powerful stride to change pace and manipulate gaps into his favor. His passes were on the tape and easy to handle. We liked the angles he took on the forecheck and his active stick allowed him to knock down passes for quick offensive opportunities. His goal occurred when he caught Des Moines in a bad line change, executed a quick up play in the neutral zone and then flew through the middle creating a 2 on 1 where he fired a one-timer into an open cage. Thompson was very impactful and a positive presence tonight.
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, January 4, 2020: (1) Brain – High IQ player who has the mental awareness to play in every game situation. Down a goal late in the game? Aidan can play the point and not be a liability. Up a goal with a minute to play? Although he is a winger, he is a conscientious low forward who will not cheat looking for an empty netter. He has the mental ability to read an opposing defenders gap on a line rush and manipulate the angle into his favor. He changes speeds and creates space while his head is up. Defensively, Aidan back checks with a sense of purpose and his ability to get sticks on pucks shows a high level of anticipation. (2) Vision & Poise – Plays with his head up in all situations and is aware of where everyone on the ice is. Aidan likes to use his speed to drive the defenseman wide, carry the puck behind the net and use his vision to find his teammates who are the late attackers. He is patient with or without the puck and does not force plays. (3) Feet – He can fly. Excellent edges and very quick laterally. He can roll of off checks and attack the net in an instant. His first step in extraordinary. (4) Compete or Effort – A maximum effort player who does not just fly around mindlessly, although we have noted that his shifts can be long. We feel this will change as he plays at higher levels and is not a result of being selfish, but rather the belief in himself that he can “get it done”. (5) Contact or Physicality – Aidan appears to be thicker and stronger than his listed weight of 161lbs. He can initiate contact while protecting the puck and battles for ice in the scoring areas. We do not feel Aidan is a banger, but we do notice that he has a very strong stick and wins battles. (6) Release – Aidan has a quick accurate release and shoots with a purpose. We noted that on wrap-arounds he does not just try to beat the opposing goalie to the far post, but will try to create a chaotic rebound situation by banking the puck off of the goalie’s pads. His shots create rebounds, not offensive zone face-offs. (7) One Timer Ability – He can shoot the puck with authority and we feel he will only be more deadly after spending time training at the University of Denver. (8) Body Language – Only not extremes. (9) Special Teams Potential – We feel that whoever drafts Aidan will be getting a player who has the hockey IQ and physical skills to be a top 9 forward. He has the potential to contribute in all situations after he finishes his college hockey career at Denver. (10) Intangibles – He is smart. He can fly. And he is poised. Aidan is a classic “draft and stash” type of player who everyone will be wondering why teams didn’t take earlier in the draft once he turns pro.
USA Hockey Select 16 National Development Camp in July of 2018 – Thompson is one of the most exciting prospects in the entire camp; he’s fast, he’s tough, he’s skilled and never quits on a play. He was more of a play maker than a goal scorer with Colorado Thunderbirds this season but showed he can do both here finishing the week with an even 2-2-4 line in 5 games. While he has a quick, hard release and scored a brilliant breakaway goal coming out of the penalty box, his best plays were in his passing game. What separates him from other top play makers in the camp is that he can see the ice and make any pass at top speed without having to slow down. He is also one of the most fierce competitors here; he flies all over the ice relentlessly pursuing the puck and finishing checks. He fearlessly goes into corners and drives the net and often comes out of scrums with bigger, stronger players with the puck on his stick. He has an explosive first step to come off the wall and get to the net, he has slippery hands to beat any defender in open ice and the poise and sense to manage time and space and make plays. When he tried to get too cute and lost possession or caused a turnover, he stopped on the puck and hustled back to regain possession which he was able to do nearly every time. The former WHL pick and highly touted Denver commit was selected by Lincoln in the second round of the USHL Draft. He’ll return to Colorado next season where he’ll be their go-to-guy up front and have more opportunity to show what he can do at both ends. One of the premiere forwards in the country. College: Denver
Tier 1 U16 Super Showcase in January of 2018 – He was his usual self, which is fiery and competitive. For a smaller player he throws the body around and is always in the traffic areas. He can make plays with defenders on him with his quick hands. A great mix of compete and skill and brought them both consistently. College: Denver
World Selects Invite (2002) in June of 2017 – Thompson is a high energy, high pace little guy who is always buzzing. A Colorado native who played with the RoughRiders this season but didn’t go unnoticed by WHL scouts where he was taken in the seventh round by Portland. His feet are always moving and he’s fast enough, quick enough and shifty enough to beat defenders in open ice and off the rush. He did take a real cheap shot in the Dynamo game where he slashed a player in the back of the knees and was ejected; so we’d like to see more maturity, but at his size you like seeing him playing with grit and a chip on his shoulder.
From U14 USA Tier 1 Nationals in April of 2017 – Thompson has a lot of jump in his legs and very good edges. He pushed defensemen into bad gaps with his speed and attacked the net off the edge. He has good lateral movement and made people miss in space. He is tough and worked hard. We really liked his PK play. As he adds strength, he will be able to get to the net more often as his approach with the puck is very good.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling / Hickling Imaging
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