Joe Thornton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joe Thornton |
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Thornton with the San Jose Sharks in April 2016
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| Born | July 2, 1979 St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) | ||
| Weight | 219 lb (99 kg; 15 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins HC Davos San Jose Sharks Toronto Maple Leafs Florida Panthers |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 1st overall, 1997 Boston Bruins |
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| Playing career | 1997–2023 | ||
Joseph Eric Thornton, born on July 2, 1979, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played as a centre, which is a key position in hockey. Joe played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL), including the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Florida Panthers.
The Bruins picked him first overall in the 1997 NHL entry draft. He played seven seasons with them, and was even their captain for three of those years. During the 2005–06 season, he was traded to the Sharks. That year, he won two big awards: the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points, and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player. He is the only player in NHL history to win either award while playing for two different teams in the same season.
Thornton played 14 more seasons with the Sharks. He was their captain for four seasons and helped them reach the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals. Joe was the last active NHL player who had played in the 1990s. He was also the last player from any of the four major North American sports leagues (NHL, NBA, NFL, MLB) to have played in the 1990s.
Joe Thornton was known for his amazing vision on the ice. He was strong with the puck and made incredible passes. People called him a "playmaker" because he was so good at setting up goals for his teammates. He is one of only 14 players in NHL history with 1,000 assists. His nickname, "Jumbo Joe", comes from his large size. It also refers to Jumbo the elephant, who died in St. Thomas, Ontario, where Joe grew up.
Contents
Joe Thornton's Hockey Journey
Starting in Amateur Hockey
Joe Thornton grew up playing minor hockey in his hometown of St. Thomas, Ontario. He played for the St. Thomas Travellers. In 1992–93, his team won an Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) championship.
When he was 14, Joe played six games for the Junior B St. Thomas Stars. He scored eight points in those games. The next season, he played full-time for the Stars. He scored 104 points in 50 games as a 15-year-old. After that, he was picked second overall in the 1995 OHL draft by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Playing in the OHL
From 1995–96, Thornton played two years in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Greyhounds. In his first year, he scored 76 points. He won both the OHL and CHL Rookie of the Year awards. The next season, Joe scored 41 goals and 122 points. This was the second-highest score in the league. He was also named to the OHL second All-Star team.
Time with the Boston Bruins (1997–2005)
After his OHL career, the Boston Bruins chose Thornton first overall in the 1997 NHL entry draft. Joe broke his arm before the season, but still made the team for the 1997–98 season. He scored his first NHL goal on December 3, 1997, against the Philadelphia Flyers.
His coach, Pat Burns, used him carefully. Joe played mostly on the fourth line and sometimes didn't play at all. He averaged about eight minutes per game. In his first year, he scored three goals and seven points in 55 games. In the 1998 Stanley Cup playoffs, he didn't score any points in six games.
In 1998–99, Joe played much more. He averaged over 15 minutes per game. He improved to 41 points in 81 games. In the playoffs, he scored nine points in 11 games.
Thornton became a very important player for the Bruins. His points increased in the next two seasons. Before the 2002–03 season, he became the team's captain. In his first year as captain, he scored 68 points in 66 games. The next year, he reached 100 points for the first time. He scored 36 goals (a career high) and 65 assists. He was third in NHL scoring that season.
His points dropped to 73 in 77 games in the 2003–04 season. On January 19, 2004, he broke his right cheekbone in a fight with New York Rangers player Eric Lindros. The injury needed surgery, and he missed three games. After this season, Joe didn't score 30 goals in a season again.
During the 2004–05 NHL lock-out, Joe played in Switzerland for HC Davos. He played with other NHL players like Rick Nash. They helped HC Davos win the league championship and the Spengler Cup. Joe often returned to train with the team in the summers.
Before the NHL started again in 2005–06, Joe became a free agent. He wasn't happy with the Bruins. He felt they criticized his play in the 2004 playoffs. The Bruins also weren't happy with his leadership. But Joe signed a new three-year, $20 million contract with Boston on August 11, 2005.
Thornton started the 2005–06 season very well. He had 33 points in 24 games. He was the team's top scorer. However, the Bruins were not playing well as a team.
Becoming a San Jose Shark (2005–2020)
On November 30, 2005, Thornton was traded to the San Jose Sharks. The Bruins received forwards Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau, and defenceman Brad Stuart. Many people think this trade was much better for the Sharks.
When Joe joined the Sharks, the team improved right away. He played very well with winger Jonathan Cheechoo. Joe wore an "A" (for alternate captain) for the first time with the Sharks on March 30, 2006. He wore it whenever the regular alternate captain was out.
After the trade, Joe scored 92 points in 58 games with the Sharks. He finished the season with 29 goals and a league-leading 96 assists. His total of 125 points earned him the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer. He was the first player to win this award while playing for two teams in one season. Because of Joe's great play, Cheechoo also had his best season. He won the Rocket Richard Trophy for scoring the most goals (56) in the NHL.
In the 2006 playoffs, Joe was criticized again for not scoring enough. He had two goals and seven assists in 11 games. The Sharks lost in the second round. After the season, Joe won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP. He is the only player in NHL history to win the Hart Trophy while playing for two different teams in the same season.
For the 2006–07 season, Joe was named a permanent alternate captain. He struggled early due to a toe injury. After recovering in January 2007, he played very well. He finished with 114 points, just six points behind Sidney Crosby. With 92 assists, Joe became only the third player in NHL history to have 90 assists in two seasons in a row. The others were Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
In the 2007 playoffs, Joe had six assists in the first round. In the second round against the Detroit Red Wings, he had a goal and three assists in the first three games. But the Red Wings stopped him from scoring more, and the Sharks were eliminated.
After the season, Joe signed a new three-year contract worth $21.6 million. In the 2007–08 season, he finished with 96 points (29 goals, 67 assists). He was fifth in NHL scoring.
In 2008–09, Joe was named captain for the Western Conference team in the 2009 NHL All-Star Game. He finished the season with 86 points. This helped the Sharks win the Presidents' Trophy as the best team in the regular season. In the playoffs, the Sharks were upset in the first round. Joe had a goal and four assists in six games.
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In September 2009, the Sharks traded for Dany Heatley. He joined Joe and Patrick Marleau on the Sharks' top line. They played very well together. This trio helped the Sharks have one of their best regular seasons ever. All three players finished in the top 15 in league scoring. Joe's 89 points ranked eighth.
The Sharks entered the 2010 playoffs as the top team in the Western Conference. They made it to the Western Conference Finals. But they were swept (lost all four games) by the Chicago Blackhawks, who went on to win the Stanley Cup. Joe finished the playoffs with a career-high 12 points.
After this, the team removed all captain positions. Before the 2010–11 season, Joe was chosen to be the eighth captain in Sharks history. This happened on October 7, 2010. Nine days later, he signed a new three-year, $21 million contract.
Early in the 2010–11 season, Joe scored his fourth career hat-trick (three goals in one game). This was against Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils. On November 6, 2010, Joe was suspended for two games for a hit to the head of St. Louis Blues player David Perron. Perron missed a long time due to a concussion. Later that season, Joe passed Marleau to become the Sharks' all-time leader in assists. He scored his 1,000th career point on April 8, 2011.
In the first round of the 2011 playoffs, Joe scored the winning goal in overtime of Game 6 against the Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks then beat the Detroit Red Wings to reach the Western Conference Finals again. They lost to the Vancouver Canucks in five games.
On January 24, 2014, Joe signed a new three-year contract with the Sharks. At the end of the 2013–14 season, Joe was 46th in all-time points and 24th in all-time assists in the NHL. He also became the San Jose Sharks' all-time leader in assists with 567. The Sharks had a great season with 111 points. They were a favorite to win the Stanley Cup.
In the 2014 playoffs, the Sharks played their rivals, the Los Angeles Kings. The Sharks won the first three games. But the Kings, who later won the Stanley Cup, won the next four games. This was only the fourth time in NHL history a team won a series after being down 3-0. Joe had only two goals and one assist in those seven games.
On August 20, 2014, Sharks coach Todd McLellan announced that Joe was no longer captain. The Sharks started the 2014–15 season without a captain. Joe Pavelski was later named captain for the 2015–16 season.
On January 26, 2015, Joe recorded his 1,300th career point. This happened during a game against the Colorado Avalanche. He became the 33rd player in NHL history to reach 1,300 points. Joe had 16 goals and 49 assists in the 2014–15 season. The Sharks missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2003.
Joe finished the 2015–16 season with 19 goals and 63 assists for 82 points. The Sharks returned to the playoffs. In the 2016 playoffs, the Sharks beat the Los Angeles Kings. They then defeated the Nashville Predators to reach the Conference Finals for the first time since 2011. The Sharks beat the St. Louis Blues to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time ever. This was also Joe's first time playing in the Finals. However, the Sharks lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games in the Finals. Joe finished fifth in playoff points with 21. He was named a Second-Team All-Star for the 2015–16 season.
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On March 6, 2017, Joe recorded his 1,000th NHL assist. This made him the 13th player in NHL history to reach this milestone.
On July 1, 2017, Joe signed a one-year contract to return to the Sharks for the 2017–18 season. In January 2018, he injured his ACL and MCL. He missed the rest of the season to recover from surgery.
On July 2, 2018, his 39th birthday, Joe signed another one-year contract with the Sharks. On November 13, he scored his 400th career goal. He also reached 1,500 games played and 1,000 assists. Only six other players in NHL history have done this. On February 11, 2019, Joe passed Gordie Howe for ninth place on the NHL all-time assists list. Joe and the Sharks reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the St. Louis Blues. Joe had four goals and six assists in 19 playoff games.
Joe signed a one-year, $2 million contract on September 6, 2019, to stay with the Sharks. He recorded his 1,500th career point on February 4, 2020. Joe was not happy that he wasn't traded to a team that could win the Stanley Cup. The Sharks had a disappointing season and missed the playoffs.
Playing for Toronto and Florida (2020–2022)
Because the 2020–21 season was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Joe returned to HC Davos in Switzerland on October 15, 2020. He had become a Swiss citizen in 2019.
On October 16, 2020, Joe signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored his first goal as a Maple Leaf on January 16, 2021. On January 22, 2021, Joe broke a rib after being hit by an Edmonton Oilers player. He returned to play on February 27. He scored 20 points (5 goals, 15 assists) in 44 games. Joe scored one goal in the Maple Leafs' playoff series loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
On August 13, 2021, Joe signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers for his 24th NHL season. He played 34 games and scored a career-low 10 points. The Panthers won the Presidents' Trophy as the best regular season team.
Joe did not sign with a team for the 2022–23 season. He officially announced his retirement on October 28, 2023. When he retired, Joe was 12th in NHL history in total points, seventh in assists, and sixth in games played.
On January 17, 2024, the Sharks announced they would retire Joe Thornton's number 19 jersey. His jersey was retired on November 23.
International Hockey Career
 Thornton (second from right) celebrates a goal during the 2010 Winter Olympics as his San Jose teammates Patrick Marleau (#11) and Dany Heatley (#15) join in, as well as Drew Doughty (#8) |
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| Medal record | ||
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| Men's ice hockey | ||
Representing  Canada |
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| Winter Olympics | ||
| Gold | 2010 Vancouver | Team |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 2005 Austria | |
| Canada Cup / World Cup | ||
| Gold | 2004 Toronto | |
| Gold | 2016 Toronto | |
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 1997 Switzerland | |
Joe Thornton played for Canada's national under-20 team in the 1997 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He was 17 years old. He scored four points in seven games, helping Canada win a gold medal.
Two years later, he played for the Canadian men's team at the 2001 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Joe had a goal and an assist in six games. Canada lost in the quarter-finals.
Joe's next international game was at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He was a top NHL player by then. He tied for third in scoring with six points (a goal and five assists) in six games. He had two assists in the championship game against Finland, helping Canada win 3–2. At the 2005 IIHF World Championship in Austria, Joe led all scorers with 16 points (six goals and ten assists) in nine games. He was named the tournament MVP. Canada reached the gold medal game but lost to the Czech Republic.
Joe played in his first 2006 Winter Olympics. He scored three points. Canada lost to Russia in the quarterfinals. Four years later, he was chosen for Canada's Olympic team again for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. Joe played on the same line with his Sharks teammates Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau. Joe had a goal and an assist in seven games. He helped Canada win a gold medal.
Joe was invited to Canada's camp for the 2014 Winter Olympics. But he couldn't go because his son was sick. He was named to the Canadian team for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto.
Joe Thornton was also named co-general manager for Team Canada at the 2023 Spengler Cup.
About Joe's Life
Joe Thornton is married to Tabea Pfendsack. He met her while playing in Switzerland during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. They have a daughter and a son. Joe was born in St. Thomas, Ontario. He became an American citizen in July 2009. He later also received a Swiss passport. Joe and former Sharks teammate Scott Thornton are first cousins.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
Bold indicates led league
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
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| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1993–94 | St. Thomas Stars | WOHL | 6 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs | OMHA | 67 | 83 | 85 | 168 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | St. Thomas Stars | WOHL | 50 | 40 | 64 | 104 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 66 | 30 | 46 | 76 | 53 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 11 | ||
| 1996–97 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 59 | 41 | 81 | 122 | 123 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 24 | ||
| 1997–98 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 55 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| 1998–99 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 81 | 16 | 25 | 41 | 69 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 | ||
| 1999–00 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 81 | 23 | 37 | 60 | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 72 | 37 | 34 | 71 | 107 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 66 | 22 | 46 | 68 | 127 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 2002–03 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 77 | 36 | 65 | 101 | 109 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2003–04 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 77 | 23 | 50 | 73 | 98 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Davos | NLA | 40 | 10 | 44 | 54 | 80 | 14 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 29 | ||
| 2005–06 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 23 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 58 | 20 | 72 | 92 | 55 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 12 | ||
| 2006–07 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 82 | 22 | 92 | 114 | 44 | 11 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 10 | ||
| 2007–08 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 82 | 29 | 67 | 96 | 59 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 2008–09 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 82 | 25 | 61 | 86 | 56 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | ||
| 2009–10 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 79 | 20 | 69 | 89 | 54 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 2010–11 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 80 | 21 | 49 | 70 | 47 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 16 | ||
| 2011–12 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 82 | 18 | 59 | 77 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 2012–13 | HC Davos | NLA | 33 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 48 | 7 | 33 | 40 | 26 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 82 | 11 | 65 | 76 | 32 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 2014–15 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 78 | 16 | 49 | 65 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 82 | 19 | 63 | 82 | 54 | 24 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 10 | ||
| 2016–17 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 79 | 7 | 43 | 50 | 51 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 47 | 13 | 23 | 36 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 73 | 16 | 35 | 51 | 20 | 19 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 70 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | HC Davos | NL | 12 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 44 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 34 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| NL totals | 85 | 27 | 74 | 101 | 127 | 14 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 29 | ||||
| NHL totals | 1,714 | 430 | 1,109 | 1,539 | 1,272 | 187 | 32 | 102 | 134 | 134 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Canada | WJC | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2001 | Canada | WC | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | |
| 2004 | Canada | WCH | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2005 | Canada | WC | 9 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 4 | |
| 2006 | Canada | OLY | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2010 | Canada | OLY | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2016 | Canada | WCH | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Senior totals | 40 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 12 | |||
Awards and Achievements
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- Named to the OHL All-Rookie Team in 1996.
- Won the Emms Family Award as OHL rookie of the year in 1996.
- Named the CHL Rookie of the Year in 1996.
- Named to the OHL second All-Star team in 1997.
- Played in the National Hockey League All-Star Game in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009 (as captain).
- Won the Art Ross Trophy in 2006.
- Won the Hart Memorial Trophy in 2006.
- Named to the NHL first All-Star team in 2006.
- Named to the NHL second All-Star team in 2003, 2008 and 2016.
- NHL 2K cover athlete - 2007
- Won the Spengler Cup with HC Davos in 2004.
- Won the Swiss ice hockey championship with HC Davos in 2005.
- International
- Won the World Junior Championships gold medal with Team Canada in 1997.
- Won the World Cup of Hockey with Team Canada in 2004.
- Won the 2010 Winter Olympics gold medal with Canada.
- Won the World Cup of Hockey with Team Canada in 2016.
Records Joe Thornton Holds
- Only player in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy while switching teams in his winning season – 2005–06.
- Highest point total recorded by a player while playing with two different teams in one season – 125 points (2005–06).
- Most games played by the first overall pick in the NHL Entry draft, currently 1714 games.
- San Jose Sharks' all-time leader in assists – 745.
- San Jose Sharks' all-time leader in +/- with +172.
- San Jose Sharks' all-time leader in points per game with 1.01.
More to Explore
- Power forward (ice hockey)
- List of NHL players with 1,000 points
- List of NHL career assists leaders
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
