Tim Thomas hasn’t exactly made a dent on the ice during his short tenure with the Panthers, but he’s doing wonders for their jersey sales.
The 39-year-old goaltender has battled injuries throughout his first year back in the NHL, playing in only six games for the Florida club this season. The Panthers faithful — that seems like a stretch — have seen the former Bruin don the red and navy blue jersey only a handful of times during the 2013-14 season, but that hasn’t stopped them from going out and buying the sweater in droves.
According to Austin Karp of SportsBusiness Daily, the 2011 Conn Smythe trophy winner ranked fifth among all players in jersey sales during October. After stepping away from the game for a year, The Tank is proving that distance truly does make the heart grow fonder, joining the likes of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby and Pavel Datsyuk in the top-5 highest-selling sweaters during the first month of the season.
Only one other goalie ranks in the top 25, with Henrik Lundqvist coming in at the No. 14 spot.
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