One of the more discussed storylines for Team Canada heading into the Olympics was whether or not Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson was going to be on the roster. He was left off Canada’s 4 Nations team last year that won the Gold Medal in an overtime win over Team USA.

Thomson clearly felt snubbed by last year’s team, and he wasn’t about to let that happen again. Earlier in the season, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman hinted that Thompson was being fueled by last year’s omission in an attempt to get on the Olympic roster. He did, and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact for the Gold Medal favorites.

Capitals goalie Logan Thompson leads Canada over Switzerland

Canada opened the tournament on Thursday with a 5-0 shutout of Czechia in what was a workmanlike performance. St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington got the start and turned back everything Czechia threw at him. With a quick turnaround, you knew coach Jon Cooper was going to go in a different direction and went to Thompson.

In a 5-1 win for Canada, Thompson stopped 15 of the 16 shots he faced, with a first-period goal by Pius Suter being the only puck that got by him. He looked sharp and needed to be as his teammates dominated play, but he was called on to make some timely saves. The win clinched Group A for Canada, who will close out preliminary round play against France on Sunday.

Capitals forward Tom Wilson picked up an assist in the game for Canada on a Thomas Harley first-period goal that gave Canada a 2-0 lead. Late in the third period, Wilson accidentally fell on Kevin Fiala’s leg, and Switzerland’s forward suffered what appears to be a tough injury. He was carted off the ice after being down for several minutes. Fiala tried a reverse hit and fell awkwardly, with Wilson falling on his leg. There was no intent from Washington’s big, rugged forward.

The story, however, was Thompson. He got his chance to play in an Olympic game and took full advantage of it. Binnington will likely get the start against France on Sunday, but Thompson made it clear that he deserved to be part of Canada and chasing a Gold Medal in Milan Cortina.