Boston bruins star has officially announced his retirement from the NHL.
Joe Thornton, one of the oldest skaters in National Hockey League history, officially announced his retirement on Saturday.
In a video message shared by the San Jose Sharks, Thornton, 44, officially announced the end of his long playing career.
“Judging by the number of people asking me, I guess I’ll have to say I’m not officially from the NHL,” joked Thornton, shirtless and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
“I thought you’d know sooner, but I kept asking.
This is where I retired.” I love the game of hockey and the countless people who helped make this kid’s dream come true.
“And if you’re looking for me, you know where to find me.” I’m at the ice rink.
Peace and love.\’
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The last active NHL player in the 1990s, Thornton played in 1,714 regular season games and 187 playoff games in 25 seasons with the show.
He has yet to play a single game this NHL season and has yet to sign a contract with any team.
Over the course of 24 seasons, he played for four different teams, but was best known for his time with the San Jose Sharks.
He finished his career with the sixth-most games played in NHL history, fifth, 17 games behind Ron Francis and 65 games behind Shark Patrick Marleau.
Thornton’s 1,109 points rank 7th and his 1,539 points rank 12th.
The Boston Bruins selected Thornton first overall in the 1997 NHL Draft and immediately hired him.
Prior to the 2002-03 season, the man known as “Jumbo Joe” was named the Bruins’ 24th captain.
Midway through the 2005–06 season, Thornton was unhappy with the direction of the franchise.
Thornton was traded to the San Jose Sharks in November 2005 for Marco Sturm, Wayne Prime and Brad Stewart.
In eight seasons with the Bruins, he recorded 454 points, 169 goals and 285 assists in 532 games. He also had 18 points in 35 playoff games.
In San Jose, Thornton became an immediate superstar and won the Hart Trophy (league MVP) and the Art Ross Trophy (league scoring leader) in the 2005-06 season, making Boston regret his decision.
He led the league in assists for three straight seasons from 2005-06 to 2007-08.
Thornton has helped the Sharks reach the Western Conference Finals four times in his career, winning the series in 2015-16.
In the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals, the Sharks lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
This was Thornton’s only appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Thornton’s contract with the Sharks expired after the 2019-20 season and he signed elsewhere, becoming the team’s all-time assists leader.
He also ranks in the top four of the Sharks in games played, points and goals.
At 41, the Torontonian had 20 points in 44 games and signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He signed with the Florida Panthers last season but appeared in just 34 games.
Thornton’s final NHL appearance came in Game 4 of the Panthers’ playoff series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He will not play in the Stanley Cup Finals in Florida.
