Akil Thomas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Akil Thomas
Thomas with the Los Angeles Kings in 2018
Born	(2000-01-02) January 2, 2000 (age 25) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position	Centre
Shoots	Right
NHL team (P) Cur. team	Los Angeles Kings Ontario Reign (AHL)
NHL Draft	51st overall, 2018 Los Angeles Kings
Playing career	2021–present

Akil Thomas (born January 2, 2000) is a professional ice hockey player. He plays as a centre. Akil is Canadian-American. He plays for the Ontario Reign in the American Hockey League (AHL). This team is linked to the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings picked him in the 2018 NHL Draft. He was the 51st player chosen overall.

Thomas started his major junior hockey career in 2016. He played for the Niagara IceDogs. While with the IceDogs, he set a new team record. He scored the most points as a rookie. He also became the team's captain. In 2020, he was traded to the Peterborough Petes. This happened after he came back from playing for his country.

Akil has played for Team Canada. He played in several big tournaments. These include the 2017 and 2018 IIHF World U18 Championships. He also played in the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. In 2020, he played in the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Playing Hockey

Starting Out

When Akil was young, he played for the Toronto Marlboros. This team is part of the GTHL. He scored 72 points in 56 games. This was the most on his team. Then, he played for the St. Michael's Buzzers. This team is in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL).

In 2016, the Niagara IceDogs picked him. They chose him 12th overall in the OHL draft. He signed with the IceDogs in June 2016. Before he was drafted, scouts thought he was a very good player.

Junior Hockey Career

In his first year in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Akil did very well. During the 2016–17 season, he scored 48 points in 61 games. He got his first OHL point in September 2016. He scored his first OHL goal in the next game. He was named Rookie of the Month for October. He also set a new record for rookie points on the IceDogs. Akil was named to the OHL's All-Rookie team in 2017. He finished second in voting for OHL Rookie of the Year.

Because he played so well, Thomas became an alternate captain. This was for the 2017–18 OHL season. He led his team with 81 points that season. He also had 11 points in 10 playoff games.

Before the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, many thought Akil would be picked early. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked him 15th. The Los Angeles Kings picked him in the second round. He was the 51st player chosen overall. After the draft, Akil said he would make other teams regret not picking him.

For the 2018–19 season, Akil was again an alternate captain. He was invited to the Kings' development camp. He started the OHL season strong. He earned OHL Player of the Week honors. He had five points in one game. The Kings signed Akil to a three-year contract in March 2019. At that time, he was one of the top scorers in the OHL. The day after signing, he reached 100 points for the season.

After attending the Kings' rookie camp, Akil became the IceDogs' captain. This was for the 2019–20 season. He tied the team record for most assists in a game. He had five assists in one game. In October, he was chosen for the 2019 CIBC Canada/Russia Series. He scored a goal in the first game against Russia. In January 2020, Akil was traded to the Peterborough Petes. This happened after he played in the World Junior Championship. He always wore number 44 on his jersey.

Professional Hockey

In September 2020, Akil went to play for Eisbären Berlin. This team is in Germany's top league, the DEL. This was because the North American season was delayed. After training there, he came back to North America. He joined the Kings' training camp.

In January 2021, Akil was sent to the Ontario Reign. This is the Kings' team in the American Hockey League (AHL). He played on a special line with Quinton Byfield and Devante Smith-Pelly. This was the first all-black line in professional hockey in a long time. In their first game, Akil scored three goals in a row. His line had six points in total.

Soon after, Akil was called up to the Kings' taxi squad. This meant he could practice and travel with the main team. He had 13 points in 23 AHL games at that time. He was sent back to the Reign the next day. He finished the 2020–21 season with 26 points in 40 games. After the season, he had two shoulder surgeries. He returned to play for the Reign in December 2021.

Akil started the 2022–23 season well. He scored four goals and two assists in eight games. He added seven more points before having shoulder surgery in November. In July 2023, the Kings signed him to a new contract.

In his new contract's first year, Akil set new personal bests. He scored more goals, assists, and points than ever before. He was named the AHL Player of the Week. This was for scoring four goals and two assists in three games. Akil was called up to the NHL on March 31. He played his first NHL game on April 1 against the Winnipeg Jets.

Playing for Canada

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Gold	2020 Czech Republic

Akil Thomas is a citizen of both Canada and the United States. He chose to play for Canada. In 2016, he played for Canada White. This was at the 2016 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He was an alternate captain. He scored 3 points in 5 games.

Akil played for Team Canada's under-18 team in 2017. This was at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships in Slovakia. Canada finished 5th. In the same year, he played in the 2017 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament. He scored 6 points. This helped Canada win their 21st gold medal. After his junior team was out of the playoffs, Akil played for Team Canada again. This was at the 2018 IIHF World U18 Championships. He had two points in four games. Canada finished fifth.

On December 21, Akil was named to Team Canada for the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He played on the fourth line. He scored his only goal in the gold medal game against Russia. This goal won Canada the gold medal! Because of this big moment, January 9, 2020, was called "Akil Thomas Day" in his home region.

About Akil's Life

Akil's mother is from Barbados. His father, Kahlil, is from Toronto. His father also played hockey. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs' minor league team. Akil's father also scored a championship-winning goal. This was for the Memphis RiverKings in 2003. Akil's uncle, Leo Thomas, also played minor hockey. In 2018, his uncle became a head coach. He was the first black head coach in professional hockey in North America since the 1990s.

Akil was born in Toronto. But his family moved a lot because of his dad's hockey career. After his dad stopped playing, they stayed in Orlando, Florida. Akil calls Orlando his hometown. When Akil was 11, his family moved back to Toronto. This was so he could have better hockey chances. Akil went to St. Michael's College School. He was advised to skip a grade. This allowed him to take classes at Brock University.

When Akil played for the Toronto Marlboros, he was in a movie. The film was called Soul On Ice: Past, Present & Future. It talks about the history of black players in hockey. The director was a family friend. Akil also has a clothing company. It's called Zale Apparel. He runs it with his friend Ethan Low. The company celebrates his Barbadian heritage.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2016	Canada White	U17	4th		6	2	1	3	2
2017	Canada	U18	5th		5	0	0	0	2
2017	Canada	IH18			5	2	4	6	0
2018	Canada	U18	5th		4	1	1	2	0
2020	Canada	WJC			7	1	1	2	0
Junior totals					27	6	7	13	4

Awards and Honours