Thomas Larkin
Image: NHL

Thomas Larkin

Hometown:

Cocquio Trevisago Italy

Team:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Currently Playing In:

NCAA

Birthday:

1990-12-31
Position:

D
Eligible for draft:

2009
Shoots:

Right
Drafted:

2009
Height:

6-5
Acquired:

5th round (137th overall), 2009
Weight:

220 lbs.
Prospect Talent Score
6.5

About Prospect Talent Score and Probability of Success»

Probability of Success
  • C

History

On June 27, 2009, Thomas Larkin became the first ever Italian-trained player to be drafted by an NHL club. The son of an American father and Italian mother, he was born in London, England.

Larkin spent most of his life in Italy, then moved to the United States. He was switched to defense by his high school coach.

2008-09: High school senior with Phillips Exeter Academy. He set the single season scoring record for a defenseman with 52 points. Earned team MVP honors and All-New England honors. Ranked 87th among North Americans by Central Scouting (final).

2009-10: Larkin earned a big role as a freshman at Colgate University. In 33 games, the blueliner scored 3 goals and 16 assists. His 19 points led the team's defensemen.

2010-11: Larkin skated in 41 of 42 games for Colgate as a sophomore and also represented Italy at the 2011 IIHF Division 1A World Championship. Larkin and teammate Jeremy Price shared the team lead in goals for a defenseman with five each on a Colgate team that struggled for much of the season; finishing last in the ECAC Hockey League regular season standings. The Raiders turned things around late in the season – picking up 8 of their 11 wins after February 1st – and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament. Larkin finished +8 for the season and had 7 assists with 41 PMs. In four games for Italy he scored 1 goal and was +1 as Italy won three of four games to capture the tournament and return to the top pool for 2012.

2011-12: He was named captain of Colgate University as a junior last season and responded with 14 points (10 assists) in 37 games. The stay-at-home defender was once again named to the Italian national team and had four assists in 20 international games.

 

Talent Analysis

Larkin’s biggest challenge is to use his size to his advantage. At 6’5 he should be an imposing force in the collegiate game, but he is yet to be the physical force the Blue Jackets are hoping he can be.

 

Future

Larkin will be heading back to Colgate University for his senior season and will need to turn some heads with his physical play. His true test will come when he plays in the AHL and he's no longer big enough to skate by everybody.

 

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2012 World Championship: Thomas Larkin, Italy

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It’s not often that you find a 6-5 defenseman with a right-handed shot blasting shots from the blueline. And it’s even more seldom that a player of this nature has an Italian passport. But both of these things are true in the case of Columbus Blue Jackets’ 2009 fifth round pick, Thomas Larkin.

With much on the line at the 2012 World Championships, Thomas Larkin and his teammates are doing all they can to position themselves for the 2014 Winter Olympics qualification round. With a 4-3 overtime victory against Denmark, the team has already been responsible for the tournament’s biggest upset to date.

Larkin answered a few questions for Hockey’s Future after the team’s opening day loss to Team Germany.

Hockey’s Future: I believe this is your first World Championship appearance

Thomas Larkin: It’s my first one in the top division. I represented Italy at the lower division tournament last spring.

HF: You opened this tournament with a tough 3-0 loss to Germany today. What was your take on the game?

TL: It was a tough game. I think we came out little soft, but started to feel well at the end there. By the time we figured things out, it was already too late.

HF: Do you find it difficult going from Colgate to the bigger European ice surfaces?

TL: It’s definitely a big change, especially playing defense against faster forwards, but it’s going well. We just had training camp for three weeks, so I’ve had some time to get used to it.

HF: What do you think this tournament will mean for you, perhaps even in the eyes of some NHL scouts who will be viewing events here?

TL: This tournament is really one of the best in the world and it’s a big step up for me going from playing college hockey to facing players from leagues like the NHL, AHL and KHL. You know, I just really hope to learn as much as I can this week and step my game up.

HF: Are you looking forward to playing against some of the stars playing for teams like Sweden and Russia?

TL: That’s definitely a factor, you know. Playing against players you’ve been watching on TV throughout the winter is really quite special. Nonetheless, I’ve got to try to keep that out of my mind and we’re going to try to sneak up on a few teams here and win a couple of games.

HF: There are a lot of guys on this Italian team who are originally from North America. What is your connection to the country? How is it you’re here playing for the “Azzurri”?

TL: Oh, I grew up there. My mother is Italian and I grew up in a town not far from Milan until I was 14. We then moved to the States. My dad is American, so I’m half and half, but I grew up in Italy and then moved to the States after that.

 
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