Matt Tomkins is set for a long-awaited NHL return, and it will come in a sharp spotlight: Sunday night at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers.
Following Edmonton’s 4-0 win over the Islanders on Saturday, coach Mike Babcock said Tomkins will make his Oilers debut, according to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. The call comes on the second night of a back-to-back, with Tristan Jarry fresh off his second straight shutout.
Edmonton brought Tomkins up from AHL Bakersfield on October 23 under emergency conditions after placing Devon Levi on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Frederik Andersen is still on long-term injured reserve.
Tomkins, a Sherwood Park, Alberta native, has taken a winding route to this moment. He played his junior hockey with the Sherwood Park Crusaders in the Alberta Junior Hockey League, then was picked in the seventh round by the Blackhawks in 2012 at No. 199 overall. Not long after that, he announced his commitment to Ohio State University.
His college career lasted four seasons, and he appeared in 67 games for the Buckeyes, going 28-26-7 with a .898 save percentage.
Once his time in Columbus wrapped up, Tomkins spent four seasons in the Blackhawks’ AHL and ECHL system with the Rockford IceHogs and Indy Fuel. He played 115 games across those stops before heading overseas.
Tomkins then spent two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League, one with Frölunda HC and one with Färjestad BK, and posted a .910 save percentage in 65 games. While with Frölunda in 2022, he also represented Canada at the Winter Olympics. Canada didn’t medal, but Tomkins went 2-1 in three starts with a 1.01 GAA and a .963 save percentage.
He returned to North America in May 2023 on a two-year deal with Tampa Bay, ending the final year of his Färjestad contract. In 2023-24, he went 3-2-1 with a 3.33 GAA and an .892 save percentage in six games with the Lightning.
Sunday will be the 32-year-old’s first NHL appearance since April 17, 2024, and just the seventh of his career.
Tomkins signed a two-year, two-way contract with his hometown club on July 1, 2025. The deal carries an $812.5K cap hit and runs through the end of this season. He spent all of last season in Bakersfield.
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