Alum guides Bruins to Game 3 Stanley Cup win

Goaltender Tim Thomas, who played in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for the Lakeland (Mich.) Jets, made 40 saves for the Boston Bruins in their 8-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday.

Vancouver leads the best-of-seven series, 2 games to 1.

After his seasoning in the NAHL, Thomas, from Flint, Mich., embarked on a four-year college career at the University of Vermont (then ECAC) from 1993-97. He's played the last six seasons with the Bruins.

Thomas was the winner of the 2009 Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goaltender and played for Team USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Three other NAHL graduates are competing in this year's Stanley Cup Finals: Canucks defenseman Keith Ballard (1999-2000), forward Ryan Kesler (2000-02) and goaltender Cory Schneider (2003-04), all of whom played in the NAHL as members of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

View the complete list of former NAHL players who played in the NHL this season here.