UNH's Thompson to Make NHL Debut Tonight with Devils

Former University of New Hampshire forward Paul Thompson will make his NHL debut tonight when the New Jersey Devils face the Boston Bruins at the Prudential Center in Newark.

Limited by recent injuries, the Devils have summoned Thompson from Albany (AHL), where he scored a career-high 33 goals last season, according to his bio at NHL.com. The 6-foot-1, 200 lb. native of Methuen, Mass. previously tallied 20 goals in 2012-13 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL), and has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 22 AHL games so far this season.

A four-year letterwinner at UNH from 2007 to 2011, he scored 47 of his 57 goals over his last two campaigns. Thompson, 27, was also chosen the Hockey East Player of the Year as a senior after scoring 28 goals in all, while helping the Wildcats to a 10th and final consecutive NCAA Tournament berth.

New Jersey currently sits in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with a 20-16-5 overall record, while Boston is fourth in the Atlantic Division with a 20-14-4 mark. Both clubs have lost their last two games to date.

ADDENDUM: Thompson, wearing No. 45, had a shot on goal, a hit, and two penalty minutes, and was a plus-one in New Jersey's 4-1 loss, according to NHL.com.