10 CAREER DEFINING

JOE THORNTON CARDS

1996-97 Sault St. Marie Greyhounds Autographs #23

With all the hype surrounding his NHL potential, Thornton’s first cards appeared in 1995-96, including one found in a tough Greyhounds team set. This single was from the following season but stands out as his first hard-signed autograph. In fact, the entire set is signed, including a second Thornton card that pictures him with Canada’s gold-medal winning 1997 World Junior team. No print run was announced, but it’s believed that fewer than 500 sets were produced. Unsigned versions of both cards also were released.

1996-97 Black Diamond #160

Thornton and his Team Canada teammates were a major draw back in the day when prospects were intermingled with NHLers in licensed sets. He earned three RCs via UD’s agreement with Hockey Canada in his draft season, appearing in the flagship brand and Upper Deck Ice, but this single was the standout. Although not serial numbered, cards in the Triple Diamond subset were brutally tough to pull and even harder to find in top condition as a result of the foil substrate. Just six of 67 copies submitted to PSA and six of 94 sent to BGS have returned in a Gem Mint slab.

1997-98 Beehive Authentic Autographs #51

Once he debuted with the Bruins, Thornton was fair game for all manufacturers. They took full advantage, cramming the first-overall pick into every possible insert totaling nearly 200 different singles. Fortunately, he had plenty of time to meet the signing demands of the card companies. Bruins coach Pat Burns exhibited little trust in the rookie, essentially limiting him to cameo appearances in just 55 games. His three goals and seven points scarcely dampened the hobby’s excitement and gave little indication of the Hall of Fame career to come.

2000-01 Topps Heritage Autographs #HAJT

Over time, Thornton gained the trust of Burns, a man he described as “a good mentor to me,” and he slowly began to display his offensive prowess. But it wasn’t until the veteran coach was dismissed and replaced by Mike Keenan that the big center had his breakthrough season. Thornton pumped in 37 goals and 71 points in 72 games, and consistently displayed the kind of fire, grit, and smarts that scouts expected of him. His physical presence was viewed as a throwback to a bygone era, which is what makes this single from hockey’s first Heritage product a perfect representation of his campaign.

2002 Pacific Chicago National #2

If you’re looking for an unusual Thornton single, this redemption from the 2002 National Sports Collectors Convention fits the bill. The card was limited to 500 copies and features NFL star Tom Brady on the obverse. Maybe the affiliation helped, as Thornton delivered the first of three 100-point seasons in his career in 2002-03. He earned Second All-Star Team honors for his efforts and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting. That he did so in his first season wearing the C in Beantown speaks to the heart and intensity with which he played – something his teammates always recognized even if Boston’s fans sometimes didn’t.

2005-06 SP Game Used Authentic Fabrics #AF-JT

Frustrated by Thornton’s lack of presence in the previous spring’s postseason – he was skating with a significant injury – the Bruins made the ill-fated decision to send the 26-year-old center to San Jose for a handful of beans. Jumbo found the perfect fit with the Sharks and went on to win the Art Ross Trophy for his career-best 96 assists and 125 points, and the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP. While he was pictured on scores of cards with both teams in ‘05-06, this single – which offers a photo of Thornton with San Jose but utilizes a swatch from a Bruins jersey – best encapsulates the dichotomy of this memorable season.

2002-13 Swiss National League #SNL-109

As if it needs saying after more than two decades, Thornton loved playing hockey. So much so that when NHL lockouts or the pandemic kept him off the ice, he went overseas to skate with HC Davos of the Swiss league. He met his wife while with the club in 2004-05 and bought a home in the area where he’s spent the last 15 summers. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if he finished out his career there. This single, a base card from a fully-licensed Swiss league set, captures his second stint with HC Davos. It’s one of 12 cards he has in the product.

2016-17 SP Game Used Stanley Cup Final Materials Net Cord #SCNCTJ

In what was arguably the last great season of his career, the 36-year-old put up 82 points in 82 games in 201516, was named a Second Team AllStar, and earned significant support for the Hart and Selke as he powered the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history. Though San Jose fell short in six games to the Penguins, the extended postseason run led to a slew of unique cards for Jumbo. This single, serial numbered out of 25, included a swatch of netting used in the team’s thrilling 3-2 OT win in Game 3.

2019-20 Chronology Diamond Relics #138

Here’s the funny thing about Thornton: Ask the average fan what they know about him and they won’t list off the MVP, or the captaincies, or the scoring totals. They’ll talk about the beard. Thornton’s magnificent facial forest became his defining characteristic in the latter years of his career – so much so that it can be jarring to see his clean-shaven mug on his earlier cards. This single captures Jumbo at the apex of his Grizzly Adams effort, and it also happens to be a pretty sweet single on its own merits with a print run of 36 and a diamond chip embedded on the front.

2021-22 Upper Deck NHL Passages #PA-16

Still looking for that elusive Stanley Cup, Thornton signed on with one of the preseason favorites, the Florida Panthers. He played in just 34 games — the fewest of his 24 NHL seasons — scoring five goals with 10 points, and was used only once in the playoffs. Despite that, he loved his time with the club. This single, a tough one-per-case pull in UD Series 2, offers a perfect summation of his four-team journey through the NHL. If this is the end of his career, you couldn’t ask for a better capstone than this.