Philly Leader

William Douglas, a writer for NHL.com, profiles Taze Thompson, the captain of Northeastern University's NCAA Division I women's hockey team, as part of the celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Heritage Month. Thompson, who is 22 years old and a senior forward at Northeastern, has fond memories of playing hockey on the Maskwacis reservation near Edmonton and assisting her father, Rocky Thompson—an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers—with summer hockey programs for Indigenous youth.

"It was a big part of childhood growing up," Thompson said about these camps that ran for 16 years in various locations like Edmonton and Oklahoma. She learned leadership skills there that she now applies as the captain of her college team.

Thompson's performance on the ice is notable; she ranks third on her team with nine points in 15 games this season. Last year, she achieved a collegiate career-high with 12 goals and played an integral role in winning three consecutive Women’s Beanpot Tournament championships. "She’s just one of those players that just has a knack around the net," said Northeastern coach Dave Flint.

Thompson is excited about receiving her status card from the Okanagan Indian Band in British Columbia while currently being registered with the Metis Nation of Alberta. "Having status in Canada is more than a card," she expressed regarding its significance to her identity.

The Huskies women's team supported Indigenous causes by wearing orange T-shirts on Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. This gesture was inspired by conversations between Thompson and former team captain Megan Carter.

Her great-grandfather Ralph "Cecil" Thompson survived residential schools—a government-sponsored system aimed at assimilating Indigenous children—and Fred Sasakamoose was another family member who broke barriers as an NHL player with treaty status.

Thompson participated in the Fred Sasakamoose “Chief Thunderstick” National Hockey Championship this past May alongside other Indigenous athletes like Kyla Bear and Sadie Makokis. She cherishes these connections within Indigenous communities through hockey.

Looking ahead, Thompson anticipates seeing her sister True join college hockey next season at the University of Connecticut. Professionally, she hopes to work as a registered dietitian after graduation to contribute back to sports like hockey. "I would love to get my credentials as a dietitian to ultimately go back and work in professional sports like hockey," she shared about her future aspirations.