(nury hernandez)
LOS ANGELES — If Christian Thomas is even half the player his dad was through a 20-year NHL career, then the Rangers will have themselves a winner with today’s second-round, 40th-overall selection in the draft.
But Steve Thomas, who spent four years with the Islanders — was a terrific player on the 1992-93 team that stands as the franchise’s best squad since the Dynasty Days — and three years with the Devils, said that the kid is already way ahead of the old man.
“Christian has good speed, better hands than I ever had, sees the game better than I ever did, and was drafted in the second round while I was never drafted,” said the beaming father who scored a career 421 goals. “To be drafted where he was, and by the Rangers, it’s awesome.”
The younger Thomas, who at 5-foot-8 resembles his father in physical stature, scored 41 goals for a woeful Oshawa team last year. Only two first-round choices, Tyler Seguin (48) at second-overall and Jeff Skinner (50) at seventh, scored more goals than Thomas, who is reputed to have an NHL shot and can score from anywhere on the ice.
“I like to score,” the young man said. “I’ll go into the corners, I’ll go to the front, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Steve Thomas, known as Stumpy, was exactly that kind of player. He has passed on the tricks of the trade-not tricks, really-to his son.
“He’s helped me out with every little thing,” Christian Thomas said. “With 20 years in the NHL, he knows pretty much everything.
“He wasn’t drafted, so this is his first time at a draft. We got to experience it together.”
The younger Thomas, selected a year after the Blueshirts drafted Ray Bourque’s son, Ryan, needs to fill out physically and work on building up his strength. His dad knows there’s work to be done on the path that leads to Broadway.
“He certainly has a lot of growing up to do,” Steve Thomas said. “He’s a mature kid, but he needs a couple of years to become the player we all think he can be.
“Right now, the goal is to get there. You can’t look too far ahead. You always dream, but there’s a lot of work to do and there’s time to do it.”
If there’s a dream and a goal for Christian Thomas, there’s one too for his father, who said he spends most of his time traveling through southern Ontario watching his son play.
“I’d like to get back into hockey,” said the hockey dad. “Maybe not actively, but I’m hoping to get a call.”
Yesterday, the Rangers called his son.