Wild GM Bill Guerin makes an unusual signing under the NHL's new CBA rules

The Minnesota Wild made an unusual roster move on Tuesday, and it has nothing to do with the trade deadline or the standings.

General manager Bill Guerin announced that Peter Thome has officially joined the organization as the team's emergency backup goalie, a role that now comes with a much bigger job title attached.

Thome won't just be sitting in the stands hoping he never gets called into a game.

He's also stepping into a full-time position as a hockey operations analyst, which is a direct result of the league's new collective bargaining agreement.

Along with changes like a playoff salary cap and a relaxed dress code, teams are now required to keep a full-time emergency backup on staff rather than relying on a local volunteer who happens to be at the rink.

Thome isn't some fan who won a raffle.

The 29-year-old Minneapolis native has real hockey experience on his resume.

He spent five seasons playing NCAA Division I hockey, starting as a backup at the University of North Dakota before moving to the University of St. Thomas when the program was promoted to Division I in 2021.

He also played in the ECHL with the Idaho Steelheads and briefly with the Maine Mariners.

Columbus actually used a sixth round pick on Thome back in the 2016 NHL Draft, and he also skated in the USHL with Omaha, Chicago and Waterloo.

Since hanging up his playing career, Thome has stayed close to the game.

He worked two seasons with the Chicago Steel as an analyst and director of hockey operations, then most recently served as a video coach for the Coachella Valley Firebirds, Seattle's AHL affiliate, during the 2024-25 season. Nl

Now he brings that background straight to Minnesota's front office.

Also read on House Of Hockey :
Cutter Gauthier trade to the Oilers grows amid Ducks' cap crunch