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Joe Thornton News & Rumors

San Jose Sharks look to bolster their penalty kill with Joe Thornton
April 19
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"The Sharks' penalty kill is getting a jumbo-sized reinforcement. "It's time," said Joe Thornton after practice Wednesday. Is it ever. The Sharks' penalty kill has been a playoff mess. It only makes sense to use their best player to try to help clean it up, beginning with Thursday night's Game 4 against the St. Louis Blues. Thornton would not say whether he had lobbied for the extra PK time. But it's happening. Sharks coach Todd McLellan confirmed it with a nod. And Thornton said of the decision: "I'm good with it.""
Joe Thornton rescues team on the brink
April 7
San Jose Mercury News
 
"He has led on the scoresheet. Thursday night, he even led with his fists. But most of all, Sharks captain Joe Thornton has led his team back from the brink. The Sharks enter the final day of the regular season with a hard-fought chance to capture their fifth-consecutive Pacific Division title. If they beat the Los Angeles Kings at HP Pavilion Saturday night and the Phoenix Coyotes lose to Minnesota in regulation, the Sharks will clinch the division and the Western Conference's No. 3 seed. But they've already scratched and clawed their way into the playoffs -- by winning six of their last eight games -- after flirting with not even making the postseason. And Thornton has been out front as"
Joe Thornton faces big challenge in getting struggling San Jose Sharks into playoffs
March 6
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"Joe Thornton sat down Monday in his usual space at the Sharks' practice rink. To Thornton's immediate left was the locker of Daniel Winnik, with the team for just a week. To Thornton's immediate right was the locker of Dominic Moore, with the team less than three weeks. At various spots around the room were the spaces of eight other players, none of whom was with the team during the previous four seasons that produced four division titles. They are mixed with the spaces of the players who have been here but are underperforming. Thornton is the captain. This is his crew. And over the next month, he faces his greatest challenge."
A jumbo-sized problem
February 23
Toronto Sun
 
"If the San Jose Sharks are close to acquiring Rick Nash from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Sharks captain Joe Thornton doesn't want to discuss it. "We don't play those games," Thornton said Wednesday after the Sharks practised at the MasterCard Centre. "We play with the guys we have in here. We don't worry about what the outside (observers) are saying." The Sharks, losers of five of their past six, have enough to concern themselves with heading into Thursday's game against the Maple Leafs. What has led to the slump? "We're undisciplined," Thornton said. "We can score goals, but it's the lack of defensive awareness, taking penalties at the wrong time. Little things like that are costing us"
Even dad wants Joe Thornton to shoot the puck more
February 8
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Whenever Wayne and Joe Thornton talk hockey, the advice from father to son is always the same. Shoot the puck. "Pretty much before every game I have to remind him," Wayne Thornton said. "But he doesn't shoot enough. He never has." Joe Thornton, the Sharks captain, continues to be one of the NHL's preeminent passers. At the same time, he can be unselfish to a fault. San Jose coach Todd McLellan long has pressed Thornton to be more aggressive about challenging goaltenders himself. "Some players are shooters and some players are passers," Thornton countered, "and I guess I'm just a passer at heart. I enjoy setting guys up.""
Columbus' Jared Boll fined for head shot on Joe Thornton
February 2
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The NHL fined Columbus Blue Jackets forward Jared Boll $2,500 Wednesday for delivering a hit to Joe Thornton's head, all part of the league's anti-concussion crackdown. But it was an undetected blow to the head later in San Jose's 6-0 trouncing of the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night that defenseman Colin White still was steaming about the next day. "It's clearly a head shot," White said of the check delivered by Columbus center Derek MacKenzie at 8:29 of the third period. "I don't know what the refs were watching.""
Joe Thornton ignites Sharks in win over Detroit
November 18
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Sharks captain Joe Thornton and a less obvious choice, defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, took care of business against the Red Wings on Thursday night at HP Pavilion. Thornton's hustle helped the Sharks score a momentum-changing short-handed goal at the end of the first period, and he put the Sharks ahead with a second-period goal on a breakaway. Vlasic added a goal and three assists in a 5-2 victory over Detroit. San Jose has taken firm charge of the series against the Red Wings, with five regular-season victories in a row to go along with knocking Detroit out of the playoffs each of the past two seasons. Vlasic's four points were a career high, and he was the first Sharks defenseman with"
Sharks star apologizes for Rangers rant: report
November 4
New York Post
 
"Sharks captain Joe Thornton said he did not mean to call the Rangers soft after his team lost to them 5-2 Monday night at the the Garden. "Every couple of years you have to say some sort of bone-headed thing," Thornton told MercuryNews.com. "Usually I'm pretty good, but I say the wrong word once in a while. But no harm done. I just used the wrong word.""
Tortorella answers back at Sharks star's dig
November 2
New York Post
 
"The Rangers won't face the Sharks anymore in the regular season, but coach John Tortorella got in his blows yesterday at San Jose center Joe Thornton for calling the Blueshirts "soft.'' An incensed Tortorella branded the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Thornton as a "classless'' individual who's never won anything and should keep his trap shut. Tortorella's blowup yesterday after he participated in a "Garden of Dreams" kids' charity event even overshadowed Sean Avery officially clearing re-entry waivers yesterday, prompting his promotion to the club from Hartford of the AHL."
Rangers coach says 'classless' Thornton should 'shut up'
November 2
New York Post
 
"Rangers coach John Tortorella wasn't feeling so "wonderful" about Joe Thornton's "softest team" comments on Tuesday. The Sharks center called out the Rangers on Monday night after San Jose lost to them 5-2 at the Garden. Asked about it postgame Monday night, Tortorella responded, "Wonderful," but after sleeping on it had stronger words for Thornton. "It caught me off guard when Stan (Fischler) brought it up after the game," Tortorella said Tuesday after coaching 8-10-year-olds in a Garden of Dreams charity event at the practice site."
San Jose Sharks' trip ends with loss; Joe Thornton calls New York Rangers 'softest team we played against'
November 1
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Maybe at some point the Sharks will be able to look back at the fact they won five of six games on their just-completed 13-night trip and take pride in it. But Monday night they were too busy beating themselves up for the lackluster play and bad penalties that enabled the New York Rangers to skate away with a 5-2 victory at Madison Square Garden. "We just didn't play well from the start. Just lack of concentration," Sharks captain Joe Thornton said. "We were looking to win six in a row, but we just didn't have our head in it. It's just unacceptable." The Rangers were officially credited with only one power play goal, but two others came shortly after the Sharks had survived the two minutes"
Reaction to San Jose Sharks star Joe Thornton's comment calling New York Rangers soft
November 1
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Sharks captain Joe Thornton, as you may have read, was pretty critical of his own team, then took a shot at the New York Rangers after San Jose's 5-2 loss at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. "To be honest with you, they were probably the softest team we played against on this road trip and we should have had the two points," Thornton said. "We played some good teams and I think we should have beaten these guys." First the two coaches responded to Thornton's comments: "Joe said that?" Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "Wonderful." Todd McLellan tried not to get involved: "That's his opinion and he's entitled to it." And you know the media/blog world wasn't going to ignore what"
Sharks captain Joe Thornton will skate in 1,000th NHL game
October 21
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Had Joe Thornton missed one more game over the past 14 years, his milestone 1,000th would have come Saturday where it all started in Boston, not Friday against the New Jersey Devils. But Thornton dismissed any added significance that would have had for an event he's downplaying. "It doesn't matter," he said. "Just one of those things." The Sharks captain, who will play in his 468th game as a Shark after 532 with the Boston Bruins, says the sense of his accomplishment likely will mean more to him in the future. "I know a lot of guys who played 900 and some odd games, and they always wished they played 1,000 games," he said. "You kind of realize after your career is done how big it was.""
Sharks' Clowe, Thornton set to undergoe surgeries to repair injuries
May 26
San Jose Mercury News
 (scroll down)
"McLellan added that he took it as a good sign that the Sharks were much more "bumped, banged and bruised" this postseason than a year ago -- evidence that they're willing to pay the price. Ryane Clowe was hurt all playoffs with an upper-body injury that needs "to be repaired," McLellan said. In addition to the separated shoulder that Thornton suffered in Game 4 against the Canucks, the Sharks captain injured his left pinkie in a game against Dallas late in the season. Compensating for that injury also created pain in his right wrist. "My pinkie went in a different direction than it was supposed to," said Thornton, the Sharks' best player in the postseason with 17 points. "The top just got"
Sharks' Joe Thornton played with separated shoulder
May 25
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton, who came into the playoffs with a reputation for not showing up, showed up in a big way Tuesday night. The Sharks captain confirmed after the series-ending loss that he played Game 5 of the Western Conference finals with a separated shoulder. "Obviously that's a very courageous game for him to play," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said. Thornton suffered the injury in the third period of Game 4, courtesy of a shoulder-to-shoulder body check from Canucks forward Raffi Torres. Thornton played one more shift in that game before sitting the rest of it out when it became clear he could barely hold his own stick. He reiterated numerous times at his media scrum after the morning skate"
Joe Thornton skates, declares himself 100 percent
May 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton practiced with his teammates this morning, mostly skating in different drills with stick in hand, very little passing or shooting involved. And none of us could recall seeing anything close to a full wind-up. But asked afterward if he felt he had any limited mobility — a question thrown at him several different ways by several reporters — the answer was always the same. "No, I'm 100 percent." No doubt at all Thornton will be in the lineup, but questions remain as to how effective he will be despite the Sharks' captain's insistence that there are no limitations as to what he can do about taking a shoulder-to-shoulder hit from Vancouver forward Raffi Torres midway through the"
Joe Thornton will play for Sharks in Game 5
May 24
Vancouver Province
 
"Maybe it's the difference between a Stanley Cup champion and an also-ran that can't get beyond the conference final, but the San Jose Sharks seem to be showing the Vancouver Canucks a lot of respect. When Chicago was down 3-0 and 3-1 to the Canucks, individual Blackhawks were united in their belief that the superior team was not ahead in the series. Confident, cocky even, the Hawks had no doubt that they were going to win the opening round – and sat in stunned disbelief after Alex Burrows' Game 7 overtime goal ended their season. With the Sharks, you hear a lot of "we'll try this," and "hopefully we can do this," and "give Vancouver credit." They're even looking for inspiration to the"
Sharks' Joe Thornton will play in Vancouver, but can he be Jumbo?
May 24
Vancouver Sun
 columnist Iain MacIntyre
"They've lost when they were expected to win and lost when they were expected to lose. Now, the San Jose Sharks are losing when people weren't sure. And as always at playoff time, Joe Thornton is now the problem. This time, because he is hurt. The Sharks held a sparse skate at their practice rink today. But as they tried to prepare physically for another National Hockey League playoff elimination game on Tuesday in Vancouver (6 p.m., CBC, Team 1040), what they really needed to work on was their minds. Not only is the best team from the last 10 years not to win a Stanley Cup down 3-1 in the Western Conference final, but their best player is injured. Knocked from Sunday's 4-2 loss to the"
By playing hurt in Game 5, Thornton will cement role as Sharks' leader
May 24
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"Whether he's in screaming pain for 25 shifts or numbed from head to skate toe, Joe Thornton will be heard from in Game 5 Tuesday, somehow and someway. He is hurt, but Thornton will play in Vancouver with the Sharks down 3-1 and facing elimination, because he says he'll play. "When Joe Thornton comes to you and tells you he's playing," coach Todd McLellan said Monday, "he's playing." And there's more to it than that. Though Thornton gave added credibility to his tenure as Sharks captain in several recent playoff performances, this new moment is loaded with even greater potential symbolism. The Sharks' season might be flickering out, but Thornton's reign as the team's unquestioned leader"
Sharks' McLellan expects Thornton to play Game 5
May 23
CSN Bay Area
 
"Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said Monday he expects captain Joe Thornton to play in Game 5 on Tuesday in Vancouver. McLellan updated Thornton's status at San Jose's morning skate. "When Joe Thornton comes to you and tells you he's playing, he's playing," McLellan told the Sharks' official website. "I think it's important that he plays the game. I think you'll see a very good Joe Thornton." Thornton left Game 4 on Sunday against Vancouver with just under 11 minutes remaining following a crushing shoulder-to-shoulder hit from Raffi Torres."
Sharks' Joe Thornton uncertain for Game 5
May 23
San Jose Mercury News
 
"It already was just about as bad as it could get for the Sharks. Then it got worse -- much worse. Adding injury to the insult of losing decisively Sunday in Game 4 to Vancouver at the Shark Tank, San Jose captain Joe Thornton left midway through the third period after taking a shoulder-to-shoulder hit from Canucks agitator Raffi Torres. Thornton didn't return in the 4-2 loss, leaving it unclear if the Sharks will have the services of their star as they face elimination in the Western Conference finals in Game 5. But while he didn't talk with the media after the game, Thornton later wrote in a text message that he expects to be in the lineup Tuesday. "100 percent," Thornton texted in"
Joe Thornton's physical challenge to Kesler was a mind game
May 18
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"The Sharks will battle hard in Game 2, no question. In fact, it turns out that their captain nearly came to blows with the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of their series, three days ago. Happened at the opening faceoff. Joe Thornton waited for the puck to drop against Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks. The two jostled each other's shoulders. Then bumped helmets. Finally, the referee tossed both men from the faceoff circle and demanded replacements. And somewhere in the middle of all that, Thornton challenged Kesler to fight, without success. "Yeah," confirmed Thornton on Tuesday with a grin, then explained his logic: "Let's start the series off with a bang. That's about it. "... Why not?""
Kesler vs. Thornton? It'll be a great fight … even with gloves on
May 18
Vancouver Sun
 columnist Iain MacIntyre
"It was a clash of the titans. Or it would have been, except Ryan Kesler just said no. Darn the Vancouver Canuck's new discipline and focus. The first puck hadn't even dropped on the National Hockey League's Western Conference final when San Jose Shark Joe Thornton challenged Kesler to fight. Each had managed to get himself thrown out of the opening faceoff of the Stanley Cup semifinal — a draw that typically is only slightly more contested than the puck Queen Elizabeth II dropped between Mike Ricci and Markus Naslund when the Canucks and Sharks played a few years ago. Things have changed. A few years, Thornton, maligned for a perceived lack of playoff heart, probably wouldn't have"
Sweet redemption for Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton
May 13
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Tim Kawakami
"They beat the demons, the Detroit Red Wings and just about anything else and anybody else you want to name. Patrick Marleau scored the game-winner and made a potential game-saving hit, Joe Thornton controlled the pace of play, and the Sharks won the big game, with their big players, when the air was thin and the walls were pressing in on them. Marleau and Thornton. Yes. If it wasn't absolute playoff redemption, it was the closest thing available at the moment for the Sharks' two most talented, and often most frustrating, players. Of course, Marleau and Thornton weren't the only reasons the Sharks won Game 7 of this incredible, unexplainable series. But when it was over Thursday night,"
Joe Thornton's impact in postseason extends beyond scoresheet
May 6
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton has had an impressive playoff run to this point that goes beyond the two goals and seven assists that give him a share of the Sharks scoring lead with Ryane Clowe. The Sharks' captain also has been on the ice for four of San Jose's five overtime goals and has been strong in the defensive zone, too. But asked if he thinks that he's gone a long way toward erasing his image as a laid-back player lacking the necessary playoff intensity, Thornton simply says that he never reads stories written about him. Which left coach Todd McLellan to talk about the subject when he was asked about Thornton's performance and that image that goes back to the center's days with the Boston Bruins."
Joe Thornton's line holds Red Wings stars in check
May 4
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Sharks' top line of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi has combined for one measly assist over the first two games against Detroit. A few years ago, if that happened in a playoff series, the sky would be falling. Lines would be shuffled, fans in a furor, offseason demolition plans in the making. That's not a guess. It might as well be a quote from the story that ran after San Jose's first two playoff games in 2009. After combining for 222 points during the team's Presidents' Trophy regular season, the three fell flat in the first two games of the first round against the Ducks. One assist combined. Two losses, well on the way to four. The more things stay the same, the"
With others scoring goals, Thornton steps up defense
April 30
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"What's the biggest difference between the Sharks this season and last? After Friday's morning skate, many Red Wings cited scoring depth, and in turn, the freedom that depth gives Joe Thornton to focus on other areas of his game. In his first season as San Jose captain, Thornton scored 21 goals and 70 points; his 0.88 points per game was his lowest output since 1999-2000. The team could afford thethanks to a forward corps that featured six other 20-plus goal scorers. The payoff has been Thornton's improved defensive play, something Detroit's players said changes the way they approach the Sharks. Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall said that Thornton "competes harder" in the defensive zone"
Sharks' series-winning goal unleashes Joe Thornton's emotions
April 27
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton's series-winning goal for the Sharks on Monday night has drawn rave reviews. Now the votes are in regarding his celebratory reaction. A 2.3 for Technical Merit. A 3.1 for Artistic Impression. A perfect 9.0 for Demonstration of Unbridled Emotion He Probably Had No Idea Was Lurking Just Below the Surface. Odds are you have seen it a couple dozen times by now, but let's review: First Thornton made a deft spinning pickup of a deflected pass in front of the Los Angeles Kings' net. Then he whipped it past goalie Jonathan Quick, who had been lured hopelessly out of position by the pinballing puck. With the game won and the series in the bag, with the first postseason overtime goal of"
Iginla, Thornton closing in on milestone
March 24
Calgary Herald
 
"Jarome Iginla and Joe Thornton — nosing ever closer to 1,000 points — barely acknowledge the existence of the milestone. The Calgary Flames captain owns 991 points, the San Jose Sharks captain 992. Both are committed wholly to shoving their respective outfits into the best possible post-season position. So that benchmark? It's not on their radar, despite the fact that it is actually within reach this season. "Thirty years down the road, it would be nice to think about," Thornton is saying Wednesday morning. "But right now, you can't focus in on it." Barely an hour later, Iginla is whistling the same tune. "Especially during this fun time of year, in this tight race, it's all about wins —"
With no fallout for Chara, are Bruins league darlings?
March 12
Vancouver Province
 
"Former Boston Bruin Joe Thornton openly questioned the optics in the decision not to suspend Zdeno Chara. Reflecting on why there was no supplemental discipline in the Chara hit, Thornton suggested the Boston Bruins get favourable treatment from the league. "It's just something with Boston. It just seems like they have a horseshoe," Thornton said. "We've seen the [Milan] Lucic cross-check to the head of [Maxim Lapierre] earlier and there's no disciplinary thing. "It's just something about Boston, and the disciplinary [decisions] are on their side. I'm not sure why that is. I'm not assuming that Colin [Campbell's] kid is on the team and that's why, but it's really bizarre." Thornton was"
Sharks captain Joe Thornton's cool demeanor can turn fiery behind closed doors
February 5
Oakland Tribune
 
"The rap against Joe Thornton as captain of the Boston Bruins was that he could be too laid-back. He didn't show enough intensity. His internal fire didn't burn bright enough, or hot enough. More than five years after his trade to the Sharks, and with Thornton now wearing the "C" on a Teal jersey, that perception remains. But Thornton, and those around him, say reality is much different from the image. Easygoing Jumbo Joe is perfectly capable of screaming and throwing gear around. "Oh yeah," Thornton said. "But understand something: We don't show you guys anything. You guys only see the top of the iceberg. I keep it that way on purpose." In his view, the media -- and by extension, the"
Joe Thornton would have rest of NHL stop for Winter Classic
January 2
San Jose Mercury News
 
"If Joe Thornton were running the NHL, the only two teams playing on New Year's Day would be the ones competing outdoors in the Winter Classic. But Thornton isn't in charge, and so the rains in Pittsburgh that pushed back the start of the game between the Penguins and Washington Capitals effectively reduced it to one of seven overlapping games on the schedule. "It would have been nice if that was the only game on tap, and all the guys could watch it," Thornton said after the morning skate. "All the players kind of like to watch those games, and it would have been nice to go back and do that after your little snack this afternoon. Now we can't watch it at all." Actually, Thornton and his"
Sharks' Joe Thornton returns to site of controversial hit
December 18
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Forty-four days ago, Joe Thornton left the penalty box at Scottrade Center, took a couple of strides and collided with St. Louis Blues forward David Perron. That was Thornton's final act of the night as he was ushered away after being tagged with a major penalty for an illegal check to the head and a game misconduct. Perron barely missed a shift that night and scored the insurance goal in St. Louis' 2-0 win. But he hasn't played since, missing 20 games and counting with a concussion. And that could mean a rough reception from the crowd when Thornton takes the ice. "Who knows? We'll go in and see tomorrow night, but really, you don't know," the Sharks captain said Friday. "At this point in"
Debate continues over hit that brought Sharks' Joe Thornton a 2-game suspension
November 9
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The new NHL rule designed to limit shots to the head may be printed in black ink on white paper, but if that mid-ice collision between Joe Thornton and St. Louis Blues forward David Perron is any indication, it remains a very gray area. From the St. Louis perspective, the contact between Thornton's shoulder and Perron's head as the Sharks captain was exiting the penalty box Thursday night definitely warranted five-minute major and game misconduct penalties, plus the two-game suspension that ends after tonight's game against the Anaheim Ducks. In San Jose, it was seen as a case where size mattered -- that Thornton's biggest crime was to be four inches taller than the 6-foot Perron, who had"
Joe Thornton suspension upheld
November 7
ESPN.com
 
"Superstar center Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks was suspended two games by the NHL on Friday for his hit to the head of St. Louis Blues center David Perron. Thornton will miss the Sharks' games against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday and is eligible to return Thursday against the New York Islanders. He will forfeit $77,419.36 in salary, with the money going to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Thornton had an appeal hearing with commissioner Gary Bettman at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, and the suspension was upheld, multiple sources told ESPN.com."
Sharks captain Joe Thornton suspended two games
November 6
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Sharks captain Joe Thornton is about to do the time, in the form of a two-game suspension, for what the NHL has judged as an illegal hit. But Thornton remains convinced he didn't do the crime. "It's not like I'm a headhunter or I'm this vicious player," said Thornton, who was punished for his blow to the head of St. Louis forward David Perron on Thursday night. "It's just bizarre and baffling. Players throughout the league are confused right now about what's a clean hit and what's a dirty hit." The immediate effect of the suspension is that Thornton will miss tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Shark Tank as well as Tuesday's home contest against archrival Anaheim. But"
Joe Thornton ejected from San Jose Sharks' shutout loss to Blues
November 5
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The last thing any hockey team mired in a goal drought needs to do is lose its leading scorer for almost two-thirds of a game. But the NHL is trying to crack down on shots to the head. And so that's where the Sharks found themselves Thursday night when Joe Thornton was ejected from what ended up as their third consecutive shutout loss on the road, a 2-0 blanking by the St. Louis Blues. The crucial play occurred a little more than five minutes into the second period when the Sharks captain was exiting the penalty box. The Blues were speeding through the neutral zone when Thornton flattened St. Louis forward David Perron, whose head appeared to snap back after coming in contact with"
Sharks beat Devils behind Thornton's hat trick
October 28
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton scored his first hat trick at the rink he's called home for the past five years Wednesday night, pacing the Sharks to a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils at HP Pavilion. And to hear one of his linemates tell it, it could be a sign of things to come from the San Jose captain known more for his ability to set up others than put the puck in the net himself. "He's been going to the net, and the puck's been following him there," Patrick Marleau said. "I think he's making a conscious effort to shoot the puck more, so you can probably imagine he's going to get a lot more goals this year. We'll be chasing him." The victory was the Sharks' first win in three tries at HP Pavilion"
Sharks might reunite Marleau, Heatley, Thornton in starting lineup
October 23
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Formal introductions won't be necessary, but Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley could be starting on the same line tonight for the first time this season when the Sharks face the Edmonton Oilers. That's how they finished up in the Sharks' 4-2 victory over Colorado, and that's how they were lined up at practice Friday inside Rexall Place. The three played much of last season and the playoffs together, but coach Todd McLellan split them up this season in an effort to spread scoring on three different lines. Lack of five-on-five scoring has been a concern, though, and McLellan appears ready to turn to what has worked in the past. Joe Pavelski, Devin Setoguchi and Ryane Clowe were"
Joe Thornton takes pay cut with 3-year, $21 million deal
October 18
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton today signed a three-year, $21 million contract extension that amounts to a $200,000 annual pay cut in the prime of his career. And he did it with a smile on his face, saying he wanted to do what was necessary to keep a winning team together in pursuit of the Stanley Cup. "With the salary cap structure, back in the old days you could have gotten $12 million," said Thornton, who would have become a free agent next summer. "But nowadays you have to think of the team and what's best for the team. The Sharks and myself made a deal that's best for the team." With today's announcement, the Sharks now have their core skaters - Thornton, Patrick Marleaui, Dany Heatley, Joe Pavelski"
Joe Thornton takes pay cut to stay with Sharks
October 17
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton took a pay cut Saturday, signing a three-year, $21 million contract extension that will provide him $200,000 less annually than he currently earns. And he did it voluntarily, indicating he wanted to do what was necessary to keep a winning team together in pursuit of the Stanley Cup. "You take a little less to win a cup," he said. "We haven't gotten there yet, but we're going to get there." Thornton, who was named the team's captain Oct. 7, would have become a free agent July 1 when his current three-year, $21.6 million deal expires. The drop in pay reportedly was Thornton's idea and a new twist on life in the NHL under the salary cap. "Back in the old days, you could have"
When it came to Sharks picking a captain, Joe Thornton was the only choice
October 17
San Jose Mercury News
 columnist Mark Purdy
"Joe Thornton had quite a newsworthy home opener Saturday night, even before the puck dropped. He took to the ice at HP Pavilion as a new father. With a new contract. And new linemates. And a new "C" on his home teal Shark jersey. All were significant developments. But with apologies to little Ayla Thornton -- even if, at age 14 weeks, she won't actually be able to read these words until the 2015-16 season -- it is easy to select the most important item on that list for Sharks followers. Correct. It would be that small "C" on the fabric above Thornton's left chest. The "C" stands for captain. Thornton was handed that role 10 days ago in Sweden. And his performance in that role will affect"
San Jose Sharks name Joe Thornton their new team captain
October 8
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton will wear the "C" on his jersey this season after being named the eighth fulltime captain in Sharks history Thursday. Coach Todd McLellan disclosed his choice shortly after the team completed practice at the Globe Arena and one day before San Jose opens the 2010-11 season here Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Thornton jokingly likened his new responsibilities to his becoming a first-time father this past summer: "I have to look after one kid at home and 22 on the road." McLellan also announced that Dan Boyle will wear a "permanent 'A' " on his jersey as a full-time assistant captain while Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe will share the other assistant position. Marleau"
Joe Thornton says he'd be a different captain than with Boston Bruins
September 28
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Joe Thornton served as captain of the Boston Bruins for more than two seasons before being traded to the Sharks in November 2005. He said Monday that if he gets the same job in San Jose, his approach would be different at 31 than it was at 23. "You grow as you age, and you kind of mature as a player," Thornton said when the question was posed. "I think you become more comfortable in your skin. Back then, you maybe let your game speak louder than your words and I think now you consider both. You can stand up and tell guys how it is or just go out and play." The offseason retirement of Rob Blake means the Sharks are using training camp to find a new captain for the second consecutive season."
Sharks' Joe Thornton looking to stay in San Jose
August 30
San Jose Mercury News
 
"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"
Thornton, Heatley silenced
May 24
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Zero goals. One point. A minus-5 rating. That's San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton's final line in the Western Conference finals. And he wasn't the only Sharks star held off the scoresheet by the Blackhawks. Joe Pavelski had two assists and a minus-1 rating, and Dany Heatley finished with two assists and a minus-4 rating. Call it a shutdown team effort by the Hawks -- although goalie Antti Niemi and Dave Bolland's checking line of wingers Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd will get much of the credit, and deservedly so. Only Patrick Marleau produced for the Sharks, scoring five goals in the series. But he was one of only three Sharks to score in the Hawks' four-game sweep, which they capped"
Thornton says he can hack it against Bolland
May 21
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"When San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton hacked Dave Bolland's stick and slashed Bolland's wrists before a third-period faceoff in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, it wasn't out of frustration. He was trying to quick-draw the puck into the Hawks' net. That's their story and they're sticking to it. ''I don't find [Bolland] very irritating. I find him very easy to play,'' Thornton said Thursday after the Sharks practiced at the United Center. ''I'm a pretty big guy, and he's a little guy, so I don't find it too difficult at all.'' Thornton's hack at Bolland and Ryane Clowe's game misconduct for roughing in the final minute of Game 2 looked like a familiar finishing touch that has"
Sharks' Thornton: Bolland 'easy to play against
May 21
Chicago Tribune
 
"The slash to the wrist leading to the scrum at the end of the game, all symbolizing the boiling irritation Joe Thornton feels due the antics of the Blackhawks' Dave Bolland ... well, it's news to Joe Thornton. "I don't find him very irritating," the hulking Sharks center said Thursday after his team practiced at the United Center. "I find him very easy to play against, to be honest with you. I'm a pretty big guy and he's a little guy, so I don't find it too difficult at all." Whether that's the truth or another psychological gambit may be impossible to know heading into Game 3 of this Western Conference final Friday night."
Trade helped both Sharks and Bruins
May 11
Buffalo News
 columnist Bucky Gleason
"The deal didn't make sense at the time because it broke Rule No. 1 in "Tricks of the Trade: GM's Guide for Swapping NHL Players." It states the following: Never, ever, however long you shall live, unload a franchise player unless A) one is coming back in return or B) you're trying to get fired. Mike O'Connell broke the rule when he traded Joe Thornton on Nov. 30, 2005, which helps explain why the Bruins sent O'Connell packing after the season. Thornton finished the season with the Sharks as the NHL's leading scorer and most valuable player. The Bruins had the fifth-worst record in the league and missed the playoffs. Thornton was everything the Sharks needed and more over the past five"