"Joe Thornton has fallen hard for the San Jose lifestyle. And that's funny considering he didn't even think it was possible for him to be here in the first place.

Nearly five years ago, when Thornton was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Sharks, Jumbo Joe famously was stunned into tears about the prospect of being shipped west to a place he didn't know.

"I was shocked because I thought I had a no-trade clause," Thornton said. "I was like, 'Wait, they traded me? Are you sure you guys can trade me?' "

They could, and they did. And today, Thornton can't see himself anywhere else.

With that in mind, Thornton, 31, has had preliminary talks about extending his contract with the Sharks -- which ends after this season -- and makes it abundantly clear that he wants to stay with the organization.

When it comes to the South Bay, Thornton sounds like a man ready to sign a lifetime contract. He and wife Tabea are building a new home in the Los Gatos-Saratoga area. He has a farmhouse in St. Thomas, Ontario, where he grew up, and the couple has an apartment in Tabea's native Switzerland.

But, he added, "This is where the Thornton family has put down roots."

And the family has grown with the birth of its first child, daughter Ayla, on July 14.

"He just loves it there," said John Thornton, his brother and agent. "I could see him spending the rest of his life in San Jose.""