TSN: Neely Says Bruins " Unlikely " To Retire Thomas's # 30

[BostonBob]

Some interesting comments from team President Cam Neely.

from tsn.ca:

Rick Middleton will become the 11th player in Boston Bruins franchise history to have his number retired Thursday night, 30 years after his retirement.

Honouring Middleton has opened speculation about who could be the next Bruin to have their name raised to the rafters, with some pointing to Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Tim Thomas.

When asked about Thomas, Bruins president Cam Neely did not rule out retiring his No. 30, but said it's unlikely due to the goaltender's short - though successful - career with the club.

" There’s no question, that team in ’11, what it meant to Bruins fans and New England. Timmy, what he did in that playoffs, not just in the finals but all of the series, was pretty impressive," Neely told The Athletic. " I don’t want to rule anything out, but you look at some of the guys up there, they have a bigger sample size of what they did throughout their career in Boston. "

Thomas appeared in 378 games during his eight-year tenure with the Bruins, posting a 196-121-45 record. He won two Vezina Trophies during his tenure and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy while leading the Bruins to their first Stanley Cup in 39 years in 2011.


Full story here: https://www.tsn.ca/neely-bruins-unlikely-to-retire-thomas-no-30-1.1217945

Click to read more...

 

[ON3M4N]

I have no problem with TT not having his number retired.

 

[mjhfb]

Curious how Rask would react looking up and seeing that.

 

[Ladyfan]

I didn't expect them to retire Tim's #.

Does anyone think he has a chance of the HOF ?

Tim Thomas will always be a hero to me. That 2010/2011 year was amazing and he was a joy to watch. He was also a nice guy when he was sitting next to us.

 

[JCRO]

I wouldn't be against it. But I guess I understand why not.
If you remove the UNREAL cup run he had in '11 then there probably isn't much debate.

 

[BruinsFanSince94]

I didn't expect them to retire Tim's #.

Does anyone think he has a chance of the HOF ?

Tim Thomas will always be a hero to me. That 2010/2011 year was amazing and he was a joy to watch. He was also a nice guy when he was sitting next to us.

I don't see TT as a HOF goalie. He didn't play nearly long enough in the league. He had 2 amazing seasons, and obviously his cup run goaltending was great, but that just doesn't seem like enough to me. Definitely shouldn't have his number retired.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

Curious how Rask would react looking up and seeing that.

What exactly are you thinking the possible issue would be?

 

[Dr Hook]

I don't see TT as a HOF goalie. He didn't play nearly long enough in the league. He had 2 amazing seasons, and obviously his cup run goaltending was great, but that just doesn't seem like enough to me. Definitely shouldn't have his number retired.

Agree-his early career killed any shot at the HOF to me- all the time in the AHL, Europe, getting spot NHL starts. He didn't really get his chance to shine till well after he needed to amass HOF numbers and achievments.

 

[CharasLazyWrister]

I don't see TT as a HOF goalie. He didn't play nearly long enough in the league. He had 2 amazing seasons, and obviously his cup run goaltending was great, but that just doesn't seem like enough to me. Definitely shouldn't have his number retired.

Love TT but agree with all of this.

Guy had an unbelievable, but relatively short, run.

His legacy is the 2010-2011 Cup Run, but that itself won’t get him the HOF or his number retired for an original six franchise.

 

[TD Charlie]

Maybe my memory is off, but 2 great seasons with an epic cup run sandwiched between, and countless years of mediocrity.

No reason for his number to be up there.

 

[BruinDust]

You could make a solid argument that a healthy Tim Thomas was the best goaltender on the planet for a 4-year period (09-12).

Still isn't enough to warrant a HOF induction nor having his number raised to the rafters. The body of work is high in quality but low in quantity and quantity matters when talking retiring numbers or HOF inductions.

 

[BruinsBtn]

It's the tough, I have no idea what the line is. But if Rask plays a few more years, you have to include him too. Then you look at the current Bruins and Bergeron/Chara are locks. Now if you're putting Middleton up there, Krejci and Marchand have a strong case.

Next thing you know there are no numbers left.

 

[Lockheed]

Water is wet.

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

I find it a tad disturbing that the team Prez is even discussing this publicly....not sure why, but I do.

 

[LSCII]

I don't have an issue with them not retiring Thomas' number because Cheevers number is also not retired. I do find it amusing that Neely is talking about this though, and it makes me feel like his comments are really motivated by how things ended with Thomas, and not being based on the player's performance.

I also wonder if Thomas would even show up if they wanted to do this. The organization did try to force him to waive his no trade several times, to the point where he stripped the B's logo and colors off his pads, gloves, and mask. And then there was the whole white house visit/social media storm that arose, and his walking away from the team and "taking time off" after he felt they hung him out to dry for the playoff loss to the Caps. So I would say they're not looking to do anything to honor him, and he's not looking for them to do it either.

 

[DKH]

Love Timmy but if 30 is going up there it’s Cheevers

This is hilarious even thinking TT over Gerry

Absurd

 

[LSCII]

Love Timmy but if 30 is going up there it’s Cheevers

This is hilarious even thinking TT over Gerry

Absurd

Said the same thing. No insult to Thomas either, but Cheevers not being in the rafters is BS. I assume it's because he left the team for the WHA for a period.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Thomas's career is more than just the 2 Vezina years, but its certainly not enough to warrant a number retirement or HOF.

2005-06 he was stuck behind a D of Boynton, Alberts, Jurcina and the corpse of Leetch. Still posted 30 wins, a .917 sv% and GSAA of 18.76.

from 2007-08 to 2011-12 he posted

.921/2.44, GSAA of 21.25
.933/2.10, GSAA of 41.02...AS-1, Vezina, Jennings
.915/2.56, GSAA of 4.34 in an injury plagued year
.938/2.00, GSAA of 45.77...AS-1, Vezina, Smythe, 5th in Hart
.920/2.36, GSAA of 11.44

Obviously 5 years isnt long enough, but he wasnt a 2 year wonder either as he gets remembered as


edit: Thompson and Brimsek absolutely should be in the rafters however

 

[finchster]

You could make a solid argument that a healthy Tim Thomas was the best goaltender on the planet for a 4-year period (09-12).

Still isn't enough to warrant a HOF induction nor having his number raised to the rafters. The body of work is high in quality but low in quantity and quantity matters when talking retiring numbers or HOF inductions.

He was extremely close to getting to the HHOF. Prior to the White House snub, he was on pace for another Vezina year then the wheels fell off.

3 Vezina's and a Conn Smythe gets you to into the HHOF.

Also Thomas is better than Cheevers. Most overrated goaltender of all time.

 

[Donnie Shulzhoffer]

Is this even a conversation. Thomas was a God for a short bit. But retire his number??? Possible HHOF???

No flippin' way!

 

[LSCII]

He was extremely close to getting to the HHOF. Prior to the White House snub, he was on pace for another Vezina year then the wheels fell off.

3 Vezina's and a Conn Smythe gets you to into the HHOF.

Also Thomas is better than Cheevers. Most overrated goaltender of all time.

Different games, different eras. Can't really compare the two, IMO. All you can do is look at them with the context of how they did against their peers in their eras.

 

[Quickdraw2828]

I find it a tad disturbing that the team Prez is even discussing this publicly....not sure why, but I do.

Because it's not as if Thomas asked him about it, yet here he is stating to the world why Thomas isn't rafter worthy. Could have been handled in a classier way.

When I was a teenager, my mom asked one of her company employees to go out with me, this chick was super hot - I wouldn't have even wasted my time. Of course she shot me down, so I have to hear all about it even though I never asked her out.

 

[Saxon Eric]

He was extremely close to getting to the HHOF. Prior to the White House snub, he was on pace for another Vezina year then the wheels fell off.

3 Vezina's and a Conn Smythe gets you to into the HHOF.

Also Thomas is better than Cheevers. Most overrated goaltender of all time.

Andy Moog says hello

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

Andy Moog says hello

Never won the Smythe, though. That's a huge feat.

 

[McGarnagle]

I love Timmy, but I don't want to be the Yankees where every person who played for more than 5 years and won a title gets their number retired. It's bad enough we've got all these rookies up here wearing numbers in the 50s and 80s.

Jersey retirement should be reserved for the best of the best. For this generation, only 37 & 33 are going up. Have special nights to honor Thomas, Krejci, March and, etc. in some ring of honor type thing, but we can't take every number out of circulation.