Thornton says Joe Montana was among people he consulted.
Among the people Joe Thornton consulted while weighing his decision to leave the Sharks after 15 seasons was one whose departure might rank No. 1 in Bay Area sports history.
Thornton spoke to Joe Montana, who spent 13 seasons with the 49ers before requesting a trade to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993.
“Joe gave me some good advice,” Thornton said on a video call Sunday. “That conversation meant a lot. I had so many people I talked to over the last week. I’m just blessed that I had a chance to talk to some great people. But ( Montana’s) one guy that offered me some good
advice.”
Thornton offered no specifics on his Joe-to-Joe talk, but his decision to leave the Sharks after 15 seasons made a lot of sense. It didn’t make a lot of dollars; he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs for $700,000.
At 41, Thornton just wants a chance to win a Stanley Cup, the only thing missing from his Hall of Fame resume.
The Maple Leafs are hardly a slam dunk to win the Cup, something they haven’t done since 1967. But they’re a better bet
than the Sharks, whose record last season (29-36-5) was better than only two of the league’s 31 teams.
Sharks GM Doug Wilson said Sunday he wanted Thornton back for a 16th season. They were in regular contact over the last few weeks.
“I shared all the information I could with where we’re at, and I wanted him to make the right decision for him for everything he’s done for all of us. I didn’t want to put any pressure on him,” Wilson said. “Joe is, at 41, looking at what the runway left is in opportunity, so I fully understand that.”
Thornton is from St. Thomas, which is about a two-hour drive from Toronto and where his parents still live. He grew up cheering the Leafs.
“Obviously, my parents are right there. So that was part of it. They can be around the grandkids a lot,” Thornton said Sunday from Switzerland, where he is playing for HC Davos until NHL training camps begin. “But really, it’s because of the hockey team. This is a very, very good team and I need to win the Stanley Cup and I think this is a great team that can do that.
“So it was a little bit family, but mostly hockey.”
Thornton came to the Sharks in a 2005 trade with the Boston Bruins. In exchange for Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart, the Sharks got a guy who led them to 13 playoff appearances in 15 years.
“It’s hard to put into words the impact Joe had on our franchise over the last 15 seasons,” Wilson said. “He came here as a 26 year old and now he’s 41. He’s still childlike in his love for the game, and I think there’s prob
ably very few players in all sports that can alter a franchise in a way that he has.”
“But even more than the numbers, he set a culture of professionalism and unmatched love of the game of hockey. He really helped solidify the city of San Jose as a true hockey town,” Wilson said.
Thornton had been pursued by the Leafs in the summer of 2017 when both he and Patrick Marleau were unrestricted free agents. Marleau signed a three-year contract with Toronto, but Thornton returned to San Jose on a one-year deal. He also signed oneyear contracts with the Sharks in 2018 and 2019.
Thornton consulted Marleau and also Joe Pavelski, who left the Sharks last season after 13 seasons to sign with the Dallas Stars.
At the same time, the Maple Leafs brass — GM Kyle Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe — were selling Thornton on the idea of coming to Toronto.
“It was probably the hardest hockey decision I’ve ever had to make,” Thornton said. “But I truly believe Toronto, with the roster they have, with the guys they picked up this offseason, I think this team is ready to win now.
In addition to Thornton, the Leafs have added forward Wayne Simmonds and defensemen T. J. Brodie and Zach Bogosian, the latter of whom just won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Last February, as the trade deadline approached, Thornton was hoping to be dealt to a Stanley Cup contender. He had a no-trade clause in his contract, but he gave Wilson a list of teams he’d accept.
When the deadline passed, and Thornton was still in San Jose, Thornton voiced his disappointment. Sunday he said none of that factored into his decision to leave.
“I get over things pretty quick. Just didn’t happen for whatever reason,” Thornton said. “Me and Doug’s relationship has always been great, always will be great. So (this) really had nothing to do with what happened last year. Just having a chance to play in Toronto, have a chance to win the Stanley Cup in Toronto. It’s special.”