The San Jose Sharks will retire Joe Thornton’s No. 19 next season, honoring the player who led the team to the playoffs 12 times, scored 251 goals and 804 assists in 1,104 games, and won the Hart Memorial and Art Ross trophies, despite never winning the Stanley Cup.
The San Jose Sharks have big news. Their best player in franchise history, Joe Thornton, is getting his No. 19 retired next season. The date? Still under wraps.
Thornton’s last game with the Sharks was on March 11, 2020. After that, he had brief stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers.
Patrick Marleau is the only other ex-Shark with a retired number. Thornton, though, he’s special. He came to San Jose through a trade. A trade now seen as one of the most lopsided in NHL history.
Thornton was unhappy with the Boston Bruins’ direction. So, they traded him to the Sharks. In exchange, they got Brad Stuart, Marco Sturm, and Wayne Primeau. This was after Thornton led Boston in scoring early in the 2005-06 season.
Thornton’s arrival in San Jose? Explosive. He scored 20 goals and 92 points in 58 games. His reward? The Hart Memorial Trophy and Art Ross Trophy at the end of the season.
For 14 seasons, Thornton played 1,104 games for the Sharks. His record? Second in goals, first in assists, and second in points with 251, 804, and 1,055 respectively.
In his 15-year run with the Sharks, Thornton led the team to the playoffs 12 times. He scored 20 goals and 115 assists in 144 games. The Hart Memorial and Art Ross Trophy are his only individual awards from San Jose. But he also received votes for the NHL All-Star Team, Frank J. Selke Trophy, and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. Plus, more votes for the Hart during his time as a Shark.
Sadly, Thornton never lifted the Stanley Cup. He came close in the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Sharks took the Pittsburgh Penguins to Game 6 of the Cup Final. But that’s as far as they got. Yet, Thornton is still a surefire Hall of Famer.
‣ The San Jose Sharks will retire Joe Thornton’s No. 19 next season, making him the second player in franchise history to receive this honor, after Patrick Marleau.
‣ Thornton, who originally joined the Sharks via trade, played 1,104 games for the team, finishing second in goals, first in assists and second in points. He led the Sharks to the playoffs for 12 seasons.
‣ Despite his impressive career, Thornton never won the Stanley Cup. The closest he got was during the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, when the Sharks made it to Game 6 of the Cup Final.
