Thomas Bordeleau Bio
Thomas Bordeleau is an American professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on January 3, 2002, in Houston, Texas, he was selected 38th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Standing 178 centimeters tall and weighing 79 kilograms, the centeral forward is known for his playmaking, poise, and faceoff efficiency. He is the son of former NHL forward Sébastien Bordeleau and carries American, Canadian, and French citizenship.
Early Life and Background
Thomas Bordeleau was born in Houston, Texas, while his father Sébastien Bordeleau was playing for the Houston Aeros of the old International Hockey League. His mother, Chantal Dubois, works as a gynecologist, and the family spent Bordeleau’s earliest years in the United States before relocating overseas. He grew up alongside a strong hockey lineage that includes his grandfather, Paulin Bordeleau, a longtime professional in Canadian hockey.
After his early childhood in Texas, Bordeleau moved with his family to Switzerland, where he lived for roughly ten years and developed his first serious on-ice habits in European rinks. When his father retired from professional hockey in 2012, the family returned to North America and settled in Terrebonne, Quebec. It was in Quebec that Bordeleau began playing organized competitive hockey in earnest and where his French first language was reinforced at home and school.
Path to Professional Hockey
Bordeleau joined the USA Hockey National Team Development Program for the 2018–19 season and quickly emerged as a top offensive talent. Playing in the United States Hockey League (USHL), he led his team in scoring with 16 goals and 23 assists in 56 games, drawing attention from NCAA and NHL scouts ahead of the 2020 draft.
Selected 38th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, Bordeleau opted for the college route and enrolled at the University of Michigan. His transition through the development program and into the Wolverines program shaped him into one of the most talked-about American prospects of his draft class.
Thomas Bordeleau Career
Early Career at Michigan (2020–2022)
Bordeleau began his collegiate career with the Michigan Wolverines during the 2020–21 season and immediately became a focal point of their attack. He led the entire nation in freshman scoring and paced the Wolverines with eight goals and 22 assists across 24 games, adding three game-winning goals and finishing with a plus-18 rating. He also led the Big Ten with a .580 faceoff win percentage, taking 211 draws.
His freshman performance earned him a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, a selection to the All-Big Ten Second Team, and the conference’s Freshman of the Year honor. He was also a recipient of the Tim Taylor Award, given to the top NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey freshman. In his sophomore year of 2021–22, Bordeleau finished tied for fourth in team points with 37, including 12 goals and 25 assists, reinforcing his status as a premier playmaker.
San Jose Sharks Era (2022–2025)
On April 12, 2022, Thomas Bordeleau signed an amateur tryout agreement with the San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, for the remainder of the 2021–22 season. He made his professional debut the next day and recorded three assists in his first AHL contest. On April 16, 2022, he signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Sharks, and one day later he made his NHL debut against the Minnesota Wild, picking up his first career point with an assist in a 4–5 overtime loss.
Bordeleau continued to develop through the Sharks system and scored his first NHL goal on October 14, 2023, in a 1–2 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He re-signed with San Jose on July 26, 2024, and remained part of their forward group through the 2024–25 campaign. During his time with the organization, he split duty between the NHL club and the AHL affiliate while refining his two-way game.
New Jersey Devils Era (2025–Present)
On July 2, 2025, Bordeleau was traded from the San Jose Sharks to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Shane Bowers. The move gave the young centerman a fresh opportunity within a Devils organization focused on developing young skill. Shortly after the trade, on July 25, 2025, Bordeleau was re-signed as a restricted free agent to a one-year, two-way contract extension covering the 2025–26 season.
Bordeleau is currently listed on the Utica Comets roster as the Devils’ top affiliate in the AHL, where he is expected to anchor offensive zone starts and power-play duties. His transition to the Devils system positions him as a centerman prospect competing for NHL playing time in New Jersey.
Driving Style and Strengths
Thomas Bordeleau is widely regarded as a cerebral centerman whose strengths lie in playmaking, vision, and faceoff reliability. He excels in transition, threading passes through tight lanes and creating offense off the cycle, while his .580 college faceoff percentage demonstrated early proficiency in the dot. Coaches have valued his hockey IQ, patience with the puck, and willingness to compete in all three zones.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature milestones, Bordeleau was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and won the Tim Taylor Award after his first season at Michigan. He represented the United States at the 2022 IIHF World Championship, recording two goals in eight games for the national team. His first NHL goal on October 14, 2023, against the Colorado Avalanche marked another key career moment.
Thomas Bordeleau Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Bordeleau comes from a deeply rooted hockey family. His father, Sébastien Bordeleau, played in the NHL and other professional leagues, including a stint with the Houston Aeros, while his grandfather, Paulin Bordeleau, also had a long career in professional hockey. The Bordeleau name has long been associated with the sport in Quebec, and the younger Thomas grew up immersed in that environment from a young age.
Personal Life
Thomas Bordeleau holds American, Canadian, and French citizenship, and his first language is French. After spending much of his childhood in Switzerland, he returned to Canada as a teenager and now resides in North America while pursuing his professional career. He is the son of Sébastien Bordeleau and Chantal Dubois, and continues to be recognized as one of the most promising American-born prospects of his generation.
2025–26 Season Outlook
Bordeleau enters the 2025–26 season with the New Jersey Devils organization after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks on July 2, 2025. His one-year, two-way extension signed on July 25, 2025, gives him a clear runway to compete for NHL ice time with New Jersey while remaining eligible for assignments to the Utica Comets. The Devils’ forward depth and emphasis on skill-based development are expected to give him a meaningful opportunity to establish himself.
At the AHL level with Utica, Bordeleau is projected to serve as a top-six centerman and one of the Comets’ primary offensive drivers. His NCAA pedigree, including his Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors and his previous AHL experience with the San Jose Barracuda, suggests he is ready to handle top-line minutes. How quickly he adapts to the Devils’ systems will likely determine whether his NHL call-up arrives early or later in the year.
For Bordeleau, the 2025–26 campaign represents a pivotal chapter: a fresh organization, a defined contract, and a chance to translate his junior and collegiate scoring touch into consistent professional production. Continued growth in faceoff reliability, two-way detail, and pace through the neutral zone will be central to his path toward becoming an everyday NHL centerman for the Devils.