Did Tim Thomas Wear ILLEGAL PADS During 2011 Stanley Cup Finals?!

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Dylan Robillard
September 8, 2023 (11:56 PM)

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Sports teams and athletes will find anyway to win, whether it is through steroids, illegal gear, what have you. Doesn't matter the sport, we have seen it through the MLB, NHL, NBA, the list goes on. Almost every sport has some sort of cheating history.

The Boston Bruins are no different, or at least not officially. In 2011, the Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas was accused of using «illegal pads» throughout the Stanley Cup Finals.

«Thomas was sued by Vaughn after the 2011 season for wearing bizarre pads made by a company called Piku that were re-skinned as Vaughn pads to look legitimate.»

There is no doubt that Thomas wore in-legitimate pads, it would be proven in court resulting in the lawsuit. Piku got sued by Vaughn for trying to pass off Thomas's altered pads as Vaughn pads to avoid detection. However, it's not unheard of for players to wear/use counterfeit equipment for benign reasons, typically when personal preference (or superstition) conflicts within their contracts with such company. The real question is whether or not Thomas's «Vaughn» gear gave him an advantage against the Vancouver Canucks in 2011.

There was never legitimate proof of the pads being bigger than regulation size or it making it easier for Thomas to stop the puck. But that didn't stop fans from creating conspiracy theories and causing a ruckus on social media.

For example this one fan who ranted about the Boston Bruins on »X». Going as far to call the Bruins the «Houston Astros of the NHL» � A couple of years ago the Astros of the MLB were caught cheating which granted them a World Series championship.

This «X» user seems to believe the Bruins are no different and they cheated in ways that went under the radar in order to earn a Championship.

That year Tim Thomas won both the Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy after a sensational season that carried on into the Playoffs.