‘Thompson has had his share of challenges both at and away from the rink. Growing up, his family was always on the move — he’s lived in Arizona, Alaska and a lot of places in between — thanks to the fact Thompson’s dad, Brent, played and coached in a handful of hockey leagues, including 121 contests as a defenceman in the NHL. Everywhere he went, though, Tage had his best pal, younger brother Tyce, with him and there was always a dressing room full of new friends-in-waiting. Crisscrossing the continent opened Thompson’s eyes early on to the less-glamorous side of chasing your dreams and he’s grateful for the crash course in difficult realities. Nomad no more, he’s wrapped those big arms around Western New York and intends to hold the embrace. “Buffalo is a place I want to be for a long time,” Thompson says. “I think we’re building something special.”’