When you think of some of the iconic players that have come through this league first two names that come to mind are Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. In the recent shortcomings, some of the best of this era have said goodbye to the game such as Patrick Marleau, Henrik Lundqvist, and now Joe Thornton. Joe Thornton retired from the game of hockey. The man may not have his name on the Stanley Cup, but Joe Thornton had a great hockey career. Now that he is retired let’s take a trip down memory lane on Jumbo Joe’s career in this league.
Joe Thornton Retires
Joe Thornton has officially retired from playing hockey at the highest level. The playmaking centre had an illustrious career that saw him suit up for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and this past season the Florida Panthers. His best days came with the San Jose Sharks, and like Marleau, he should see his number retired there someday. Whatever lies next for Thornton remains to be seen, but he will go down as one of the best to play this game we all love.
Entering The League
During the 1997 NHL Draft, Thornton would hear his name called first as he was drafted to the Boston Bruins. Thornton would go on to become the face of the franchise and the building block towards future success. His tenure in Boston went well. In his rookie season he only saw himself tally seven points in 55 games. From then on the sky was the limit.
His point totals continued to rise. Thornton would go on to have his best season in Boston during the 2002-03 season where he scored 36 goals, 65 assists (career high), and 101 points. Thornton would post a 73-point campaign the following year and be a point-per-game player before the infamous trade out of Boston.
With Thornton in the fold, playoff success did not follow despite having a supporting cast around him. The team went on to clinch the playoffs five times, but only managing to get out of round one just one time. And then just like that, Thornton was shipped out of town.
The Infamous Trade
Thornton served as the Bruins captain from 2002-2005. On November 30, 2005 the hockey world and all of Massachusetts would be shocked. The Boston Bruins traded Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks for forwards Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau, and defenseman Brad Stuart. All signs pointed to an eventual rebuild in Boston and the Sharks getting a high calibre talent in their lineup.
Thornton Is A San Jose Shark
Despite being the star in Boston, most will remember him from his days with the Sharks. Thornton spent 15 seasons with the Sharks and his level of play never faded upon his arrival with the team.
In his first season with the club, Thornton scored 20 goals, 72 assists, and 92 points. Factor in the 33 points he scored in Boston and he managed to outscore Jaromir Jagr on the final day of the regular season with 125 points. Thornton would capture the Art Ross trophy that season while also winning the Hart Trophy. That’s one jumbo way go welcome yourself to the shark tank.
Thornton was a steady offensive presence for the Sharks. In his first five seasons with the club, he eclipsed the 70-point mark in each of them. If not for the shortened season in 2013, he would have surpassed that as he still managed 40 in 48 games. His point production did not start to slow down until the 2016-17 season where he never finished scoring above 50 points. As he began to age and the core shifted towards players such as Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, and Timo Meier Thornton was still a factor in the teams success.
Sharks Accolades
Upon Rob Blake retiring after the 2009 season, the team named Thornton captain to begin the 2010 season. In 15 seasons with Thornton in the fold, the Sharks made the playoffs for 13 of them. The team was a perrenial contender in the Western Conference, but they could never secure the ultimate prize. The team came close during the 2016-17 season where the fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Sharks have always had a good core and you could even call them a powerhouse that never won the big prize, but Thornton was a large part of keeping that contention status.
In 15 seasons with the club, he eclipsed a total of 1,055 points. He leads the franchise with 745 assists, and is the all time leader in points per game with 1.01.
Life After San Jose
After spending majority of his career in California, the team opted to let the former franchise centrepiece go. As a free agent he signed a one year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He would score 20 points in 44 games, primarily playing in a fourth-line centre role and providing leadership for a young squad. During the 2021-22 season he headed south to Florida like everyone else who is on the brink of retirement. Frequently scratched, he was a serviceable depth presence on a stacked Florida Panthers team. He would only play in 34 games in the regular season and suit up in one playoff game.
Life after San Jose has been okay for a player of his age, but the illustrious career is nearing its end.
Career Achievements
Joe Thornton has retired. He will go down as one of the best players to play that never got to hoist the Stanley Cup. But the big centre has accomplished a lot in his career. He has skated in 1,714 games and scored 430 goals, 1,109 assists, and 1,539 points. During the playoffs he played 187 games and managed to score 134 points.
He played in the NHL All Star game in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009. The str centre would go on to win the Art Ross and the Hart Trophy in 2006. Jumbo Joe was the first in NHL history to win both awards while switching clubs. The point totals of 125 in 2006 was the highest of a player that also switched teams. He became the third in NHL history to have back-to-back 90 assist seasons (96 in 2005-06 and 92 in 2006-07. Only two to ever do that; Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky.
Thornton was also a first team all star on 2006 and named to the second-team in 2003, 2008, and 2016. The sharks forward won the world cup of hockey in 2004 and 2016 with Canada and of course won Gold at the Olympics with Team Canada as well.
Main Photo: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
