When the Dauphin Kings signed Lakeville, Minnesota's Baron Thompson prior to this season, there was a ton of excitement around the town and within the organization and it didn't take Thompson long to make his mark felt when he arrived in town.
Prior to this season, Baron spent the past three years in Brandon as he played for the WHL's Wheat Kings.
"Things are going pretty well. I got put with some really good billets and the guys are coming together really well," said Thompson. "I'm really enjoying my time here and hopefully, we can do some pretty special things this year."
Thompson is staying with Sarah and Dan Keeping this season.
"They're really, really great people and they have two boys of their own and it's always fun to play mini hockey with them and other games," continued Thompson. "I'm also staying with Gavin Wendorf and he's a really good kid. It's been fantastic."
The family also has a dog named Rupert.
"He's a good time, that's for sure," continued Thompson.
Playing in a preseason game against Neepawa, Thompson scored off a beautiful shot from the hash marks. Now 15 games into his final junior hockey season and first in Dauphin, Baron has been doing a ton of scoring.
On a line with Nakodan Greyeyes and Grady Hobbs, Thompson has 13 goals and 15 assists. The 28 points have him second in league scoring, behind Greyeyes who has 29.
He's already surpassed his junior career-high. Two seasons ago while with Brandon, Thompson had 26 points (13G).
"Yeah, it's always fun scoring. Nakodan and I always joke together to see who can get the number one spot, but it's all fun and games," continued Thompson. "If you look at all of my goals, it's my teammates that help me. Nakodan and Hobbs are fantastic to play with and Doug is putting me in a position to succeed."
"With the amount of time I'm playing and the spots I'm being put in, it would be hard not to produce," he continued.
Baron and the Kings started their season with some struggles. They were 1-5-0-1 after a loss against Neepawa early last month. Since that game, Dauphin has caught fire. They are now 8-6-2-2 and they have points in eight straight games. They'll have the chance to increase that to 10 straight games this weekend with a pair of games.
"Everyone on this team was a brand new face to me and I was a brand new face to them. It's hard to have chemistry with someone you just met," he added. "We're pretty far along in the season now and we're really coming together."
Dauphin will return to Credit Union Place tomorrow night. They play the Winkler Flyers and they play the Steinbach Pistons on Saturday.
Q: What are some of your hobbies?
A: There are a lot of lakes where I'm from so I spend a ton of time fishing with my dad. I also spend some time with my brother and of course, I train throughout the summer.
Q: Favourite video games?
A: I like Fortnite and NHL and some others.
Fun fact:
Baron played 26 games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints during the 2015-16 season. That's the same team where former Dauphin Kings player, Riese Gaber is playing with right now.
Make sure you tune in to the Dauphin Kings Power Play Show tomorrow after the 4:00 p.m. news, weather, and sports to hear my full chat with Baron.
