Rachel Thompson is the wife of Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson. The two met at a Halloween party in October 2016, dated through some of the most difficult years of their young lives, got engaged in June 2020, and married on July 25, 2021. Rachel is perhaps best known for her fight against chondrosarcoma, a rare bone cancer she was diagnosed with in 2018 while she and Tage were still dating.
She made a full recovery following surgery and has been cancer-free since. Today, Rachel is a University of Connecticut graduate, a mother of three, and a familiar presence on Tage’s social media at her Instagram account @_rachelmae_.
How Tage and Rachel Thompson Met
Tage Thompson was celebrating his 19th birthday on October 30, 2016, when he and Rachel crossed paths at a Halloween party. That meeting started a relationship that has lasted nearly a decade and counting.
The timing mattered more than it might seem. Tage had just been selected 26th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft four months earlier. He was at the University of Connecticut, still carving out his identity as a hockey player, and still very much a teenager.
Rachel was also at UConn at the time, studying and performing as a member of the university’s dance team. The two were, in every sense, growing up at the same time.
They started dating that fall. Neither of them could have anticipated what was coming next.
Rachel’s Chondrosarcoma Diagnosis and Recovery
According to the NHL Players’ Association, Rachel Thompson was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, in 2018 while she and Tage were still dating. She underwent surgery, made a full recovery, and by 2023 her medical team determined ongoing monitoring was no longer required.
Chondrosarcoma typically originates in bone tissue, according to the Mayo Clinic. In Rachel’s case, the tumor was found in her right leg and detected via biopsy.
The diagnosis arrived by phone. Tage was out to dinner with his Buffalo Sabres teammates when Rachel called with the biopsy results, less than a month after the procedure.
Surgery followed the next day. What could have been a devastating turning point became something else entirely, because of how Rachel chose to handle it.
“I think the biggest takeaway is how positive she was during her battle. She was always looking at the silver lining.”
— Tage Thompson, via NHLPA, November 2022
This aligns with reporting from The Sun and Sportskeeda, both of which independently confirmed the chondrosarcoma diagnosis in subsequent coverage of the couple’s story.
Rachel completed her bachelor’s degree at UConn in 2019, during her recovery. She crossed that finish line while managing follow-up care and long-term uncertainty.
Tage has spoken openly about the role faith played in getting them through that stretch. “Both her and my courage during that time came from relying on God,” he told the NHLPA. “Knowing he has a plan and that all things work together for good.”
Watching Rachel manage that level of adversity at 20 years old, finishing her degree and choosing optimism, shaped how Tage approaches difficulty in his own career in ways that show up in his performance data.
Rachel Thompson’s Education and Personal Background
Rachel Thompson graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree, completing her studies while managing her chondrosarcoma recovery. Before joining Tage in Buffalo, she was a member of the UConn dance team and built her own identity independent of his hockey career.
She grew up in the Northeast and has maintained close ties to family throughout her and Tage’s career moves. While Tage was bouncing between St. Louis, the AHL, and eventually Buffalo, Rachel was building her own path alongside that trajectory.
Her Instagram account, @_rachelmae_, offers a consistent window into daily family life. She posts regularly about her children, milestones, and moments from life around the NHL season.
Tage and Rachel’s Relationship Timeline
Tage and Rachel dated from 2016 through 2020, when Tage proposed on June 6. They married on July 25, 2021, and have since welcomed three children together. Their relationship spans the entire arc of his NHL career, from raw draft pick to franchise cornerstone with a Winter Olympics gold medal.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| October 2016 | Met at a Halloween party at UConn on Tage’s 19th birthday |
| 2018 | Rachel diagnosed with chondrosarcoma; surgery performed |
| 2019 | Rachel graduates from UConn with a bachelor’s degree |
| June 6, 2020 | Tage proposes; Rachel says yes |
| July 25, 2021 | Tage and Rachel marry |
| July 6, 2022 | First child, Brooks Nathaniel Thompson, is born |
| August 2022 | Tage signs $50M, 7-year contract extension with the Sabres |
| January 2024 | Second child born |
| July 24, 2025 | Third child, Indie Mae Thompson, is born |
The wedding came roughly a year after the engagement, in July 2021. Six weeks after their son Brooks arrived in July 2022, Tage signed a 7-year, $50 million contract extension with Buffalo. The two events were not explicitly linked, but the timing gives the summer of 2022 a particular weight in how their story reads.
Tage and Rachel Thompson’s Children
Tage and Rachel Thompson have three children. Their son Brooks Nathaniel arrived in July 2022, a second child followed in January 2024, and the couple welcomed a daughter named Indie Mae in July 2025. All three children were born during Tage’s rise to franchise-player status with the Sabres.
Their eldest, Brooks Nathaniel Thompson, was born on July 6, 2022. Rachel shared the news on Instagram with the caption: “Brooks Nathaniel Thompson July 6, 2022. This little man finally made his way into the world today and we couldn’t be more in love.”
Their second child arrived in January 2024. Rachel announced that pregnancy in late 2023 with a post showing Brooks wearing a shirt that read “One happy big brother.”
Their youngest, a daughter named Indie Mae Thompson, arrived on July 24, 2025, according to posts on Rachel’s Instagram. Tage referenced the birth on social media, writing: “Couldn’t love you more, baby girl.”
All three children arrived while Tage was still in his prime years with the Sabres, and Rachel has managed the demands of a growing family during the full stretch of his rise to NHL stardom.
Rachel’s Influence on Tage Thompson’s Career
Rachel Thompson’s steadiness during her 2018 cancer battle gave Tage a firsthand reference point for handling adversity that his career has drawn on ever since. His breakout came in 2021-22, the same year they married, and he has been among the NHL’s top scorers continuously since then.
Tage Thompson’s first real breakout season was 2021-22, when he scored 38 goals and posted 68 points. That was the same offseason in which he and Rachel had gotten married. His career trajectory from that point has been one of the steeper climbs in the league.
He reached 47 goals and 94 points in 2022-23, per his Wikipedia career statistics. He was named to the NHL All-Star Game for the first time. In 2026, he represented the United States at the Winter Olympics and brought home a gold medal as part of Team USA’s run in Milan-Cortina.
Teammates have noticed the correlation between Tage’s grounded personal life and his performance. “He comes into the rink every day wanting to be the best version of himself, both as a teammate and a player,” said Sabres forward Alex Tuch of his teammate.
Tage himself credits Rachel directly. The steadiness she showed during her cancer battle in 2018 recalibrated how he approaches both difficulty and gratitude. A player who watched his girlfriend fight chondrosarcoma at 20 years old tends to have different tools for handling a tough stretch of hockey than someone who hasn’t.
That’s not a small thing. Resilience sourced from real adversity, rather than motivational sports clichés, tends to hold up under pressure in a way the other kind doesn’t.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tage Thompson’s wife?
Tage Thompson’s wife is Rachel Thompson. They met at a Halloween party at the University of Connecticut in October 2016, got engaged on June 6, 2020, and married on July 25, 2021. Rachel is a UConn graduate and former dance team member who battled chondrosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, in 2018 and has been cancer-free since her recovery.
When did Tage Thompson get married?
Tage Thompson married Rachel on July 25, 2021, roughly 13 months after he proposed on June 6, 2020. The Buffalo Sabres officially congratulated the couple on social media following the wedding.
What cancer did Rachel Thompson have?
Rachel Thompson was diagnosed with chondrosarcoma, a rare form of cancer that typically begins in the bones, in 2018. She underwent surgery and made a full recovery. As of 2023, her scans have been clean enough that ongoing monitoring is no longer required.
How many kids do Tage and Rachel Thompson have?
Tage and Rachel Thompson have three children: Brooks Nathaniel Thompson (born July 6, 2022), a second child born in January 2024, and Indie Mae Thompson (born July 24, 2025).
What is Rachel Thompson’s Instagram?
Rachel Thompson’s Instagram handle is @_rachelmae_. She has over 9,300 followers as of 2025 and regularly shares updates about her family and life alongside Tage’s NHL career.
Where did Tage and Rachel Thompson meet?
Tage and Rachel met at a Halloween party at the University of Connecticut in October 2016. The timing overlapped exactly with Tage’s 19th birthday on October 30, meaning the party where they met was essentially his birthday celebration.
Where did Rachel Thompson go to school?
Rachel Thompson attended the University of Connecticut, where she was a member of the UConn dance team. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2019, completing her studies while managing her cancer treatment and recovery.
What is Tage Thompson’s contract?
Tage Thompson signed a 7-year, $50 million contract extension with the Buffalo Sabres in August 2022, approximately six weeks after the birth of his and Rachel’s first child, Brooks. The deal began with the 2023-24 season.
The Story Behind the Name
Rachel Thompson is not a figure who sought public attention, but she became one anyway, largely because the story of her cancer battle and recovery became part of how the NHL talked about Tage Thompson’s emergence as a star.
What stands out in that story isn’t just the medical outcome. It’s the manner in which she handled an 18-month stretch of uncertainty at 20 years old, finishing a college degree and choosing optimism over fear, in a way that the person watching her most closely said permanently changed how he sees adversity.
Three kids, a Stanley Cup run appearance, a Winter Olympics gold medal, and a $50 million contract later, that Halloween party in 2016 looks like it mattered more than either of them probably knew at the time.
