Joe Thornton, 42 and eyeing Stanley Cup, lands in Florida

SUNRISE, Fla. — Joe Thornton’s pursuit of an elusive Stanley Cup is bringing him to the Florida Panthers at age 42.

He signed a one-year deal Friday, making Florida his fourth franchise in a now 24-year NHL career. He has more points than any other active NHL player and is 14th all-time on that list with 1,529.

The 13 players ahead of him in points are in the Hall of Fame.

“I see their team on paper, I watched their team last year, I love their team and that’s it,” Thornton said. “I love what they’re building and I’m excited to be part of it. But everything is about ultimately winning the Stanley Cup and the Panthers are right there in my opinion.”

Thornton said he watched Florida’s playoff series with Tampa Bay last spring and was impressed by what he saw from the Panthers. The Lightning went on to win the Stanley Cup, their second consecutive title. The Panthers have spent a summer making moves to get closer to that level, and Thornton was contacted by the Panthers weeks ago in an effort to make him part of the mix.

“His drive to succeed is unmistakable and we are thrilled that he chose to sign with our club and that he believes in what we are building here in South Florida,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said.

Conversations with the Panthers’ braintrust — including Zito, head coach Joel Quenneville and his former Team Canada teammate Roberto Luongo — helped convince Thornton this was the right move, he said.

“The energy these guys bring every day, they want to work every day, they want to get better every day,” Thornton said.