St Louis Blues forward Chris Thorburn announces his retirement following a 14 year NHL career. He career was capped with being a part of the 2019-2019 St Louis Blues Stanley Cup winning roster.
Congratulations to Chris Thorburn, who today announces his retirement following 801 NHL GP. The forward played for four franchises and was a member of 2018-19 Stanley Cup-winning @StLouisBlues: https://t.co/DEiLyZnP4T pic.twitter.com/ilo7PaL6F3
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) June 22, 2020
St. Louis Blues Chris Thorburn Retires
A veteran of 801 NHL games, forward Chris Thorburn has called it a career. Drafted 50th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2001 NHL Draft. He would go on to play for four NHL franchises the Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues. Thorburn played a physical brand of hockey and scored 53 goals and 134 regular-season points. He also accumulated 968 penalty minutes.
Thorburn played the bulk of his career with the Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets franchise. A valued and respected teammate both on the ice and in the community. He remains the franchise leader in penalty minutes with 832 total.
A Storybook Ending
Thorburn was signed to a two year contract by St Louis as a free agent in 2017. Playing in 50 games the following season, he posted 1 goal and 7 points along with 60 PIMs. In 2018-2019 he played only a single game in the NHL before being assigned to the AHL.
Despite this he was recalled for the playoff run as part of the extended roster. Despite not playing in any games, he was the fourth player to be handed the cup in a demonstration of the respect he had from his teammates.
Chris Thorburn Statement
“Thank you to everyone who supported me, believed in me, and influenced me throughout my hockey career,” Thorburn said in a statement posted to the Blues’ website. “The Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues all took a chance on me and for that I am forever grateful.
“To finish my hockey career with the St. Louis Blues and finally get an opportunity to lift the Stanley Cup over my head, I could not have scripted a better way to go out. Thank you to Doug Armstrong and Tom Stillman, as well as Craig Berube, the coaching staff and the training staff. Most importantly, thank you to my Blues teammates for taking me on a journey of a lifetime.
“Thank you to my mom and dad, my brothers, Joey and Mark, and my sisters, Kathleen and Melanie, for your sacrifices and support, which allowed me to chase my childhood dream.
“Thank you to my agent, Steve Bartlett, for your honesty, guidance and friendship.
“Bennett Boy, you were and are my inspiration. Mary, you were Daddy’s biggest fan and Oscar, you’ll have to listen to a lot of dad’s stories. To my wife, Sara, the road was not always easy but you were always in my corner. The grind that you had to endure at times was unimaginable but you never complained. Out of all the great teammates that I’ve had throughout my career, you are my favorite. Thank you for everything!
“It was an unbelievable ride with a storybook ending. As tough as it is to close this chapter, I am excited for the new adventures ahead for myself and my family.”
