Former Hart Trophy winner Joe Thornton is set to become the 2nd player in San Jose Sharks history to have his jersey retired in a pre-game ceremony next season the club announced.
Thornton played 1,104 of his 1,714 game NHL career with the Sharks, while also having stops in Boston, Toronto and Florida along the way. He trails only franchise icon Patrick Marleau on the franchise games played list, while sitting 4th all time in goals (251), 1st in assists (804), and 2nd in points (1,055). Marleau’s number 12 jersey was retired on February 25th, 2023.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to play in the National Hockey League for 24 seasons,” Thornton said in a prepared statement. “But when I came to San Jose, it felt like I was truly home. I fell in love with the area and the people, and I had the best years of my career wearing the Sharks crest.”
The St. Thomas, ON native earned an Art Ross and Hart Trophy for his breakout 2005-06 campaign, split between Boston and San Jose. After starting the year off strong with 33pts (9G, 24A) in 23 contests with the Bruins, Thornton caught fire in the second half of the season registering 92pts (20G, 72A) in 58 games with his new team.
“Joe’s arrival in San Jose in 2005 energized an already fervent fan base and for the next 15 seasons, Sharks fans were treated to watching one of the greatest players in NHL history,” team President Jonathan Becher said in the team’s press release. “He is one of the most beloved players in Sharks history, and we can’t wait to celebrate Joe’s career in San Jose during the 2024-25 season.”
The former 1st overall selection from the 1997 NHL Entry Draft would go on to play in 6 NHL All-Star Games, was an all NHL 1st team selection in 2006, and 2nd team selection in 2003, 2008, and 2016, and completed a storied international career with Team Canada where he won a World Junior Gold (1997), World Cup of Hockey championship in 2004 and 2016, and an Olympic gold medal in 2010.
Overseas he captured a Spengler Cup championship as well as a Swiss Ice Hockey Championship with HC Davos during portions of the NHL lockout. His 1,539 career points puts him 13th all time on the NHL scoring list, while his 1,714 games played place him 6th all time in league history.
The Sharks plan to announce a date as well as ceremony details closer to the start of the 2024-25 season.
Photo: Sarah Connors. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.