There has been a lot of conversation this season surrounding how players protect their teammates. It stems from a variety of places, but it helps that the Florida Panthers, one of the toughest teams in the league, is one win away from back-to-back Stanley Cup Final wins. Now, one NHL star is speaking out against his own teammates about how they did not stick up for him during a February contest against the New Jersey Devils.
Tage Thompson was hit hard by Stefan Noesen during the Devils' 4-3 loss to Buffalo in early February. Thompson already had a goal and two assists when he skated across the ice and took a relatively late hit to the face by Noesen's elbow.
Referees placed a match penalty on Noesen, which made it really hard for the Devils to mount a comeback. They had just scored to cut the Sabres' lead to 4-2, and ironically, Jesper Bratt scored shorthanded on the ensuing five-minute major to make it a one-goal game. That was where it ended, and Noesen did not receive supplemental discipline from the league.
However, the Sabres were upset with themselves after the game for not sticking up for their star. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin said they “have to do better” about sticking up for their teammates, and former Devils and current Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said a few guys wanted to go after Noesen at the time. There were probably some worries about matching penalties in a 4-2 game, but that can’t always be the worry.
And Thompson apparently felt the same way. He said that Noesen’s hit was “a little dirty” on the Cam and Strick podcast this week.
Great conversation with Tage Thompson up on all platforms! Talks about getting knocked out and watching his teammates do nothing. 😬 @CamandStrick #Sabres pic.twitter.com/B30TubKybW
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) June 17, 2025
"I would have liked someone to step in for sure. I was a little shocked by that. "Tage Thompson, Sabres forward
Thompson went on to say the Sabres learned their lesson from the situation and they didn't have another problem like that the rest of the season. It took a "wake-up" call for the Sabres to change how they reacted to big hits against each other.
The Devils and Sabres are not the teams who have the reputation as being the tough teams in the league. The Devils were 10th in the league in hits this season with just under 2,000. The Sabres were 16th in the league with a little over 1,700 hits.
Thompson has been a menace to the Devils over the years. In 20 games against New Jersey, he has 11 goals. He's only scored more against the Detroit Red Wings (12). It's possible the Devils were trying to send a message to him to throw off his offense, but the league agreed that the punishment fit the crime for Noesen. Maye Tage is trying to get revenge for his brother Tyce Thompson, who had a promising college career but sputtered out after signing with the Devils and was eventually traded to the Islanders' organization.