When the Los Angeles Kings took the ice tonight against the Winnipeg Jets, they did it with a new face. Forward Akil Thomas made his NHL debut.
Thomas was given the honor of taking a solo lap when the Kings came out for warmups.
The 24-year old out of Toronto has waited some time for this moment. The Kings drafted him in the second round (51st overall) back in 2018. Thomas remained in juniors for a couple seasons after being drafted before moving up to the professional ranks, spending four seasons with the Kings’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Ontario Reign.
Thomas earned his call up with a big step forward in his production this season. In 61 AHL games, he had 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points. This is compared to 47 points over 90 games the previous three seasons.
The Kings bring up Thomas as they continue to push for locking down a playoff spot. They currently are in possession of the second wild card in the Western Conference, leading the St. Louis Blues by five points. In a tight race, any depth they can get can go a long way.