The Nate Shimmy: A thing of beauty

MONTREAL - What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas...

And when you consider that Nate Thompson's celebratory postgame shimmy dance began in Sin City and hasn't missed a beat, we couldn't be happier about that.
Remember that come-from-behind victory over the Golden Knights on October 31 at T-Mobile Arena? Shortly after watching his good buddy Max Domi settle the score just 26 seconds into overtime, Thompson unleashed a triumphant move that has since become his trademark.
It's featured at the 25-second mark in the clip below...

"I don't know why I did it. It just came to me," said Thompson, regarding the origins of the maneuver that Canadiens fans have thoroughly enjoyed watching on social media. "Honestly, I have no idea where it came from. I can't explain it. I came into the locker room and my body just took over."
Little did the 13-year NHL veteran know at that time that he'd introduced something that would gain such incredibly popularity.
He still can't believe the buzz that's created whenever one of the videos is posted on Twitter and Instagram.
"I didn't think it was really going to be that big of a deal where people were looking forward to something like that," admitted Thompson. "But winning's fun and you want to make winning exciting and have everyone enjoy it. Why not add a little dance move at the end?"

We agree with you, Nate! And so do Thompson's teammates and Canadiens staffers as well.
"The boys just get a really good chuckle when I do it. That's the biggest thing, everyone's laughing and having a good time. That's what it's all about after a big win," explained Thompson. "A couple of the equipment guys, Patty [Patrick Langlois] and Speedy [Pierre Leclair], they also like seeing it. Speedy likes doing it with me after wins now, so it kind of stuck ever since."

Thompson says the "Nate Shimmy" compilation posted ahead of the game against the Capitals in Washington last month really took the move to new heights among his family and friends.

"The one video the team made of me with Saturday Night Fever, I thought that was pretty comical," joked Thompson. "I had a lot of people texting me that they were dying of laughter at that. My proud mother-in-law even wanted to show all of her friends. I'll keep it going as long as we win."
No doubt Thompson's most recent shimmy felt extra good after he scored the game-winning goal against the New York Rangers on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.

And we're looking forward to many, many more of these celebrations from the 35-year-old Anchorage, AK native as the season continues.