At 25-years-old, Claire Thompson had a difficult decision to make. She was living two dreams. One, that of a World Championship and Olympic gold medalists hockey player. The other, that of an aspiring doctor completing medical school.
Until 2023, those two worlds had continued in parallel, neither taking space from the other. When the PWHL was announced however, Thompson, who was enrolled at New York University following her time at Princeton, had a decision to make. It may be more accurate to say, that given the timing of the league's announcement, and the fact Thompson was already started clinical placements for medical school, the decision was made for her.
One of the top defenders in the world would not be joining her peers in the new premiere hockey league in the world for women. Thompson's hockey career was on hold. Fast forward a year to a time the decision had re-entered Thompson's control, and she's now preparing, as the 3rd overall draft pick in the 2024 PWHL Draft , to put her other dream, the one she was pursuing in medical school, on hold while she joins the PWHL in Minnesota .
It's never been about giving up one for the other, medicine or hockey, it's always been about choosing the right time for each.
"I know that I definitely want to have a career in medicine in the future, this year has really solidified that for me," said Thompson. "This is the first year that I was able to kind of go all in to medicine, being a part of the care team every single day for patients, and really being immersed in the day to days and really seeing patient's lives changed by the medical care that we're able to provide, and I'm so fortunate to have the education that will one day enable me to care for people, and help them heal and better their lives."
Thompson stayed sharp in New York practicing with the ACHA's New York University Violets. While she has made her decision now to pursue the rest of her hockey career while she's in her physical prime, Thompson knows medicine remains in her future. She wouldn't be the first to follow this path, as hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser also followed her hockey career with one in medicine.
"I truly can't think of a better job that I want in the future, though right now I do have the other very best job in the world of being a professional athlete," Thompson said. "I do know that in the future I 100% want to come back to medicine, but right now, you can practice medicine for many, many years, and unfortunately the time on a professional athletes body is ticking, so I made the decision to come back and continue to play hockey while I'm in my physical prime and then while i'm in my mental prime later I'll go back."
Thompson didn't expect to end up in Minnesota when she entered the draft, but she also knew through pre-draft conversations that the game she'd stepped away from a year ago when she played for the PWHPA's Team Sonnet, was not the same situation she was returning to. Thompson, had walked away from the game to pursue her medical career when women's hockey faced a future of uncertainty. Coming back, she's entering the most professional environment the sport has experienced for women.
"Going through the pre-draft process, speaking tot he GMs, it was really exciting to hear from the management's perspective about what wonderful things all the different programs had been doing," Thompson said. "I had heard such wonderful things from the players playing in these organizations, but it was nice to have conversations at the higher level about what they're providing for their players in a professional sphere and all the resources that were available to the athletes."
On draft night, Thompson didn't have long to think about her own future. She'd been in the hospital all day working. When her day was over, she turned on the draft like other fans alongside her friends from medical school. When Thompson and her friends heard her name called, they celebrated together in a room filled with cheers for her achievement.
"That was definitely a moment I'll never forget," Thompson said.
Soon after the draft, Thompson signed a two-year contract with Minnesota .
The next time Thompson is in a space celebrating her hockey career, it will likely be on the ice at the Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota, or another rink across the PWHL, with friends and fans cheering for her as she competes in the game she loves. And with any luck, Thompson hopes to also excite fans by re-earning her spot on Team Canada. Thompson is joining the Walter Cup champions, and hopes to rejoin the reigning World Champions in the same season. It would be a dream come true. And when that dream ends, her other professional dream, that of being a doctor who can help others, will be waiting.
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