SHARKS FAN FAVORITE JOE THORNTON LEAVES FOR TORONTO
Joe Thornton’s time with the San Jose Sharks has come to an end — at least for now.
Thornton on Friday ended any suspense as to where he might play next season, signing a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
There had been speculation in the last week that Thornton, who became an unrestricted free agent Oct. 9, could leave San Jose for the Maple Leafs. In recent days, reports indicated that Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe had reached out to Thornton, as had players Auston Matthews, Jake Muzzin and John Tavares.
The full-court press worked, as Thornton, who helped the Sharks become one of the NHL’s most consistently successful teams over a 15-year period, is moving back to his southern Ontario roots. Thornton is originally from St. Thomas, Ontario, which is roughly a two-hour drive west of Toronto and is where his parents still live.
In 1,636 career NHL regular season games between the Boston Bruins and Sharks, Thornton has 1,509 points, including 1089 assists. He also has 133 points in 179 playoff games, as he helped the Sharks reach the Western Conference finals four times from 2010 to 2019 and the Stanley Cup Final once in 2016.
Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, commentary and conversation.
Thornton had 1,055 regular season points with the Sharks from 2005 to 2020, secondmost in franchise history. His 804 assists and his plus/minus of 161 ranks No. 1 in the team’s history, and he is second in games
played (1,104).
Before the official announcement was made, Thornton called several of his longtime Sharks teammates to tell them he was leaving San Jose.
“He just told me he would miss me,” said Tomas Hertl, who began his NHL career in 2013 as Thornton’s linemate. “I was thanking him for playing with me because he was such a great teammate. It’s sad because we’ve been playing with him for so long. You feel like you’ll always play with him, but now he’s with a different team.”
There is a chance Thornton could be back with the Sharks next season, but for now, it’s tough to say goodbye.
“Words can’t express what Jumbo has meant for my career,” Patrick Marleau wrote in a text to this newspaper. “I love him like a brother and I know he will be an amazing influence on the Leafs. Our loss is their gain, no question.”
“Mentor, line mate, friend and all of the above. Going to miss having him around the locker room,” Sharks forward Kevin Labanc tweeted Friday afternoon. “They don’t make them like him anymore! You got a good one @MapleLeafs. Good luck in Blue Jumbo!”