In the aftermath of the city of Vancouver tearing itself apart, it’s easy to forget that the Boston Bruins are the newly-crowned Stanley Cup Champions. Tim Thomas performed admirably in net in securing his team the championship trophy as well as locking up the Conn Smythe Trophy himself as playoff MVP. By shutting out the opposition in the biggest game of his life, Thomas has secured himself as a fixture as both a Bruin and an American.

After setting a new season record for best save percentage, Thomas outdid himself in the playoffs. He posted a 16-9 record with a 1.98 goals against average and .940 save percentage, which actually outdid his season number of .938 and even recorded four shutouts. By the end, he pretty much squashed any concerns about his age and ability – which almost saw him run out of Boston a year ago. Instead, he’s a hero and it’s well-deserved.

At 37 years old, Thomas has become the oldest player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. The three-time All-Star adds that to his collection, which also includes the William M. Jennings Trophy (2009), Vezina Trophy (2009) and Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award (2009, 2011). He’s also a top candidate to win the Vezina again this season, which puts him into some very elite company among history’s greatest goaltenders.

Considering his future in the NHL was in question just a few years ago, Thomas is now putting together a solid resume that will warrant serious consideration to the NHL Hall of Fame. Not many other Honored Members have multiple goaltending trophies like Thomas now does. Despite his unique style of goaltending by today’s standards and how sharp he looked after well over 100 games played this season, chances are good that Thomas returns next season ready to pad his credentials with another award or two.