Wikipedia

User:GhostRiver/thorn

< User:GhostRiver

Early life edit

  • St. Thomas Stars 1993–94
  • Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs 1993–94
  • St. Thomas Stars 1994–95

Playing career edit

Amateur edit

  • Sault Ste. Marie 1995–96
  • Sault Ste. Marie 1996–97

At the end of the regular season, Thornton had 41 goals and 122 points in 59 games, as well as a +29 plus–minus and 123 penalty minutes.[1]

Professional edit

Boston Bruins (1997–2005) edit

The Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) selected Thornton first overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft.[2] On August 5, 1997, following a lengthy battle over his expected payment, Thornton agreed to a three-year contract with the team that awarded him a $462,500 signing bonus in addition to an average annual salary of $925,000 and several million dollars in additional incentive bonuses. At the time, the deal was believed to be the most expensive offered to an entry-level player.[3] While the Bruins were using the 1997–98 preseason to determine whether they should keep Thornton or return him to junior hockey,[4] Thornton soon fractured his left radius when he was slashed by Stu Barnes during an exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he was expected to miss six to eight weeks as the bone healed.[5] He ultimately missed only two weeks with the injury, making his NHL debut on October 8, 1997, for the Bruins' 3-2 overtime win against the Phoenix Coyotes.[6][7] Thornton, who was a –8 through his first 21 NHL games and had limited playing time on the fourth line, picked up his first NHL goal on December 3 in a 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.[8] Shortly after that goal, Thornton missed another ten games from December 13 to January 7 due to an infected boil on his left ankle.[9] He did not record another point until January 25, registering his first NHL assist with a pass to Anson Carter in a 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals.[10] Playing in 55 regular-season games, Thornton had three goals and seven points during his rookie season.[11]

  • 1997–98
  • 1998–99
  • 1999-00
  • 2000–01
  • 2001–02
  • 2002–03
  • 2003–04
  • HC Davos ('04 lockout)
  • 2005–06

San Jose Sharks (2005–2020) edit

  • 2005–06
  • 2006–07
  • 2007–08
  • 2008–09
  • 2009–10
  • 2010–11
  • 2011–12
  • 2013 lockout
  • 2012–13
  • 2013–14
  • 2014–15
  • 2015–16
  • 2016–17
  • 2018–19
  • 2019–20

Toronto Maple Leafs (2020–2021) edit

Although Sharks general manager Doug Wilson wanted Thornton to remain in San Jose for another season, Thornton elected to sign a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs instead on October 18, 2020. In addition to being located closer to his family, Thornton believed that Toronto gave him a better opportunity to win a Stanley Cup title.[12] With the 2020–21 NHL season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Thornton returned to HC Davos for his third stint with the Swiss club.[13] Because Thornton held Swiss citizenship at the time of his signing, he did not count against the NL's limit on foreign players.[14] He spent 12 games with HC Davos, scoring five goals and recording 11 points, before returning to North America in time for the NHL season debut on January 13, 2021.[15]

  • 2020–21

Florida Panthers (2021–2022) edit

The Florida Panthers signed Thornton to a one-year, $750,000 contract on August 13, 2021, making the 2021–22 season the 24th of his career.[16][17] On October 20, shortly into the start of the season, Thornton was fined $1,875, the maximum allowable under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, for a slashing penalty on Tampa Bay Lightning skater Boris Katchouk.[18] He was placed on the injured reserve ten days later with an undisclosed injury,[19] missing eight games before returning for the Panthers' 4–1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on November 18.[20]

Retirement edit

International play edit

  • 1997 WJC
  • 2001 WC
  • 2004 WCH
  • 2005 WC
  • 2006 Olympics
  • 2010 Olympics
  • 2016 WCH

Playing style edit

As of May 2021, Thornton, Zdeno Chara, and Patrick Marleau are the only active players in the four major North American sports leagues (NHL, Major League Baseball, National Football League, and National Basketball Association) whose playing careers began in the 1990s.[21]

Personal life edit

In popular culture edit

The song "You Me and the B's" on Introduce Yerself, the posthumous solo album by the Tragically Hip lead singer and noted hockey fan Gord Downie, includes the line "With constant concern I can't help her / and I cannot help her end the trading of Joe Thornton", a reference to Thornton's poorly-receved trade from Boston to San Jose.[22] Downie had previously named Thornton as his favorite hockey player, and Thornton's favorite band had been the Tragically Hip since he was 12 years old. Thornton and Downie knew each other personally, and had built a close friendship until Downie's death from brain cancer in 2016.[23]

Awards, honours, and records edit

Awards edit

Records edit

References edit

  1. ^ Dupont, Kevin Paul (June 21, 1997). "Looking forward". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. p. A13. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  2. ^ Marrapese, Nancy L. (June 22, 1997). "Little extra for Bruins". The Boston Globe. p. C1. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ Dupont, Kevin Paul (August 5, 1997). "Bruins, Thornton make deal". The Boston Globe. p. C1. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ Dupont, Kevin Paul (September 21, 1997). "Bruins' Jury still out on Thornton". The Boston Globe. p. C6. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  5. ^ Marrapese, Nancy L. (September 25, 1997). "Bruins get bad break". The Boston Globe. p. D1. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  6. ^ Berry, Walter (October 9, 1997). "Donato's OT goal lifts Bruins, 3-2". North Adams Transcript. p. B1, B2. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  7. ^ Marrapese, Nancy L. (October 9, 1997). "This time, rookie cracks lineup". The Boston Globe. p. C7. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  8. ^ "Bruins snap winless skid, baffle Flyers, 3-0". North Adams Transcript. Associated Press. December 4, 1997. p. B1. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  9. ^ Marrapese, Nancy L. (January 6, 1998). "Carter aligns himself with right Bruins". The Boston Globe. p. E5. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  10. ^ Greenidge, Jim (January 27, 1998). "Thornton starting to show some moves". The Boston Globe. p. E5. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  11. ^ Dupont, Kevin Paul (April 26, 1998). "Just an average Joe". The Boston Globe. p. C1. Retrieved January 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.  
  12. ^ "Thornton signs one-year, $700,000 contract with Maple Leafs". National Hockey League. October 18, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  13. ^ "Die Legende ist Zurück" (in German). HC Davos. October 15, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  14. ^ Berger, Nicola (October 15, 2020). "'Jumbo Joe', eine Lichtgestalt gegen die Krise – die Ikone Joe Thornton belebt wieder die Schweizer Eishockey-Liga". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  15. ^ Leahy, Sean (December 14, 2020). "Joe Thornton heads to Toronto after productive stint with HC Davos". Pro Hockey Talk. NBC Sports. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  16. ^ "Thornton signs one-year contract with Panthers, will play 24th NHL season". National Hockey League. August 13, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  17. ^ Wyshynski, Greg (August 13, 2021). "Joe Thornton to play 24th NHL season after signing with Florida Panthers". ESPN. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  18. ^ "Thornton fined maximum for slashing in Panthers game". National Hockey League. October 20, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  19. ^ Olive, Jameson (October 30, 2021). "5 Takeaways: Despite Loss in Boston, Panthers Keep Point Streak Alive". National Hockey League. Florida Panthers. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  20. ^ McPherson, Jordan (November 19, 2021). "NHL veteran Joe Thornton sees 'bright futures' in Panthers' two up-and-coming centers". Miami Herald. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  21. ^ DeMartino, Joe (May 26, 2021). "Adam Vinatieri was one of the last players standing from the '90s". ESPN. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  22. ^ Schlanger, Talia (October 26, 2017). "Gord Downie's Final Album Is A Gift". WXPN. NPR. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  23. ^ Kloke, Joshua (April 28, 2021). "Joe Thornton and Gord Downie: Inside a friendship that changed an NHL star and inspired a music legend". The Athletic. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
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