Betting On Jumbo
Scattershooting* while wondering whatever happened to Nevin Markwart...
I’ve sat at a lot of desks over the years, but there have been two decorative constants at each of them – an autographed postcard of Luc Dufour and this puck signed by a 17-year-old Joe Thornton, which I picked up gratis at the 1996 National Sports Collectors Convention in Anaheim.
I can’t for the life of me remember who sponsored that free signing session with four of hockey’s top young prospects, but the rules were clear – you could choose only one player from whom you could get one autograph. I can’t recall the whole lineup all these years later, but I know Patrick Marleau was one of the others up on that stage. at made for a tough call, but I’ve always been an Ontario Hockey League guy. I had to go with the baby-faced Thornton, who’d just finished off an impressive rookie season with the Soo Greyhounds and was in the mix to go first overall the following summer.
For once, it turned out I made the right decision. Thornton didn’t just go No. 1, he went to my team, the Boston Bruins. And for the 25 years since, I’ve been a die-hard fan of Jumbo Joe. You know the saying, never meet your heroes? He’s the exception to the rule, one of those guys who has an air of amiability that you can’t help but like.
That’s why it’ll be so hard to say goodbye to Thornton who, as we head to press, appears to be out of NHL options. If it is the end, I’ll remember him as a guy who marched to his own drummer and gave more to the game than he took. And I’m glad I’ll always have this puck to remember the first time I took a chance on him...
No one had Michael Bunting on their preseason list of Calder candidates last fall, and given the unpredictable nature of prospect development, it’s a good bet another unsung dark horse will emerge to become one of the three finalists this spring. A couple of names to keep in mind: Kirill Marchenko (Columbus), Shane Pinto (Ottawa), and Jack McBain (Arizona)...
Now that he’s out from under the clutches of Rick Bowness, this is the year Miro Heiskanen breaks through both on the ice and in the hobby. He’ll never match Cale Makar for sheer excitement, but he has the tools to deliver three-zone excellence along the lines of Nick Lidstrom. He’s just that good...
The University of Michigan isn’t finishing pumping out elite hobby talent. Adam Fantilli, currently seen as the third-best prospect for 2023, joins the club in Ann Arbor this season. The big center plays at a high tempo, is an intense competitor, and can really wire it. He might not unseat Connor Bedard as the top pick in the dra¡, but he’ll make it interesting.
*With apologies to the late, great Blackie Sherrod.
Al Muir - amuir@beckett.com • @almuirsi on Twitter