Beyond the ‘C’: The Story of Joe Thornton
AGE |
33
HEIGHT
6’ 4”
WEIGHT
235 lbs.
POSITION
Center
DRAFTED
1st overall in 1997
By Boston Bruins
Joe Thornton is the 8th captain in San Jose’s history. This makes him one of the few greats that come from San Jose. He is fast and effective, and knows how to pep up his team when they need a big win. Even though he hasn’t won a cup, he still fights for that playoff spot, and eventually he will get to the Promise Land. This is Beyond the ‘C’: The Story of Joe Thornton.
Joe Thornton had just finished his 2nd OHL season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, when he was drafted to the Boston Bruins first overall. This was after he put up 122 points in 59 games. That’s a little more than 2 points per game. He played in Boston his rookie year, and appeared in 55 games and only gave Boston 7 points. The next two seasons, he played in 81 games each season and put up 41 then 60 points. He had been climbing the points ladder every season. Before the 2002-03 season, he was named captain of the Bruins, succeeding Jason Allison, who had left for Los Angeles in 2001. The team played one season captain-less before naming Thornton Boston’s captain. He put up a then career-high 101 points.
During the NHL lockout in 2004-05, he played in Switzerland with Rick Nash for HC Davos, where he met his wife, Tabea Pfendsack, and helped Davos win the Spengler Cup. The next NHL season, he played for the Bruins and put up a 23 game season with 33 points. He was shipping out of Boston to the wild West to play in San Jose. The atmosphere was different, as well as the fans.
Thornton’s first year in San Jose, he put up a 92 point season in 58 games. The next year he put up a career high 114 points in a full 82 game season. After that, he never fell below 70 points a season, and when the Sharks were eliminated from the 2009-10 playoffs, the captain and alternate captains were wiped clean and renamed. Prior to the start of the 2010-11 season, Thornton became captain once more of a team when he led the Sharks onto the ice in the first game of the season.
Closing Argument:
I’m not a big Joe Thornton fan. That’s mostly because I don’t know much about him. I didn’t even know he played for anyone other than San Jose before I started researching him. He seems like a great player and he has the experience to lead a team, since he did so in Boston. I think what he is doing with the Sharks is great. There are many fans of the San Jose Sharks, so he must be doing something right, eh?
Do you like Joe Thornton or do you want someone else as the captain? I’m dying for some reader feedback. Find me on Twitter (@NardoneDylan) and tell me what you think.