After 1714 NHL games ‘Jumbo’ Joe Thornton has retired from professional hockey at the ripe age of 44. Thornton, who was from St. Thomas Ontario was a familiar face in the London Ontario area as he is always recognized as a local legend even having an arena named after him in St. Thomas. Thornton played for the St. Thomas Stars of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (Formerly the Western Junior B Hockey League) where he boasted an astounding 112 points in just 56 games with the organization from 1993-1995. Joe then went on to play for the Sault St Marie Greyhounds where he dominated with 198 points in 125 games. This propelled Joe to be drafted 1st overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. Joe would later be traded to the San Jose Sharks where he would be named captain for a period of time. Thornton also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers as well as representing team Canada in the 1997 World Junior Championship and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey where he won two gold medals.
Joe Thornton has been labeled as one of the best playmakers of his generation and he had no issue proving this as he accumulated over 1000 assists in his long career. His best display of his playmaking ability came in 2006-2007 when he had 92 assists on the season, and he earned some hardware in 2005-2006 when he won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHLs top points scorer of that season, he also claimed the Hart Trophy as the leagues most valuable player. Unfortunately for Joe the one thing he likely wanted most was a Stanley Cup which he was unable to achieve when his San Jose Sharks fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2015-16 Stanley Cup Final.
Thornton was added to the wall of fame at the Joe Thornton Community Center which also happens to be the home of the St. Thomas stars which he was extremely grateful for, and he said he was ‘proud to be from St. Thomas’ in an article Welcome to the Joe (hometownplay.ca).
Jumbo Joe and his signature beard will always be recognized for the legacy he carries with him in the small community of St. Thomas Ontario.
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