Tomkins stops 27 shots in return to NHL after two years away

Matt Tomkins recorded 27 saves against 28 shots to earn the first star in the Edmonton Oilers' win over the New York Rangers on Sunday at Madison Square Garden. The victory marked the 11th win for Edmonton in its first 15 games of the season.

Tomkins, 32, made his seventh career start in the National Hockey League. It was his first appearance in the league since April 17, 2024, when he played for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The gap in his top-flight resume spans 928 days.

During that interval, Tomkins played 74 games in the American Hockey League for the Syracuse Crunch and Bakersfield Condors. He described the period as a time of uncertainty regarding his place in the sport rather than his skill level.

“The human element, there’s maybe a little bit of doubt,” Tomkins said. “Not from your ability, but more so just the opportunity. There’s only 64 jobs at any given time and incredible goalies all over the world are fighting for them every single day.”

Injuries to Oilers goalies Devon Levi and Frederik Andersen, combined with a schedule featuring back-to-back games, created the opening for Tomkins. He had previously made his NHL debut in 2023, a few months after turning 29. Before that, he played at Ohio State and for minor league and Swedish teams, including the Indy Fuel, Rockford IceHogs, Frolunda, and Farjestads BK.

Captain Connor McDavid praised Tomkins' performance and the team's support for the local favorite. “He was awesome for us,” McDavid said. “He just gave us a chance to win.. He was just solid, honestly: made the saves he needed to and gave us a chance.”

McDavid added that he was happy to see a teammate who had worked hard during the summer in Edmonton finally get the opportunity to play in the building where he grew up as a fan. “So nice,” McDavid said. “He’s a great dude, an unbelievable dude. He worked so hard this summer in Edmonton and just so happy for him.”

Tomkins acknowledged the rarity of his call-up with Tristan Jarry returning from back-to-back shutouts and Levi and Andersen working their way back to fitness. “It’s been a couple of years since I’ve played in the league, so definitely excited to get the nod,” Tomkins said. “Just tried to enjoy the day and take it all in and do my part to contribute and help the team win.”