The San Jose Sharks are set to retire Joe Thornton’s #19 jersey in a ceremony on Saturday (Nov. 23), giving the franchise legend an honor only one other Shark has received. The forward played 15 of his 25 professional seasons in San Jose, where he posted elite statistics and led the Sharks to some of their greatest moments as a team. However, he deserves to be remembered just as much for his personality and his passion for the sport he played. The jersey retirement is a celebration of all these elements, cementing his legacy as an exemplary figure in the Bay Area and the hockey world.
Thornton at the Center of Classic Sharks Moments
Although the Sharks never got Thornton the Stanley Cup championship he deserved, he still placed himself in the middle of some of the greatest games and plays in franchise history.
In the 2010 Western Conference playoff matchup against the Detroit Red Wings, he recorded eight points in five games and scored or assisted on three of the Sharks’ four game-winning goals, giving him his first conference-final appearance in San Jose. The following season, he scored the series-winning goal in the first round against the Los Angeles Kings, capping off the tally with a now-famous sliding celebration. Even as he got older and became more of a veteran leader than a starring player, he still made major contributions on the ice. He had 21 points in the Sharks’ 2016 playoff run which resulted in his only Stanley Cup Final appearance, and 10 points in the 2019 playoffs. He was 39 years old during the latter, but his importance to the team still shone through — among other notable events, he was heavily involved in the play which led to Barclay Goodrow’s series-winning goal against the Vegas Golden Knights.
When the Sharks traded for Thornton in 2005, they made a franchise-altering decision and sent a message that they were staking the team’s future in large part on him. There were setbacks and disappointments along the way, but by the time Thornton concluded his time in San Jose, he’d led the Sharks to heights they’d never experienced before.
Thornton Was Unapologetically Himself
The Sharks brought Thornton to the Bay Area for his hockey skills, but he went from a great player to a beloved icon by being one of the NHL’s most colorful, likable personalities. His willingness to express himself manifested in every way imaginable.
On the ice, look no further than his sliding celebration, or his pure joy upon scoring his 400th-career goal, or recording a hat trick in 2019. He took that same enthusiasm to the bench, such as when he messed around with St. Louis Blues’ fans in the middle of a 2016 playoff game. He didn’t stop in the locker room, either, offering a…let’s say, colorful defense of rookie Tomas Hertl’s between-the-legs goal in 2013. Fully away from the ice, he remained true to himself, like in 2016, when he walked shirtless through downtown Pittsburgh ahead of a game against the Penguins. Even the lead up to the jersey retirement ceremony has been a showcase of his charisma, charm and humor.
Jonathan Becher says he canvassed Sharks players and fans to ask for one word to describe Joe Thornton.
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 21, 2024
"Funny" "Iconic" "Beard" were a few responses.
Jumbo just came on stage and said they forgot "Sexy"
That's Joe Thornton Day for you!
The full “Joe Thornton experience” requires fans to appreciate every aspect of who he is. From his honesty in interviews to his exuberance after big plays, the reason San Jose loves him so much goes beyond what he could do with a stick and a puck.
Thornton Will Be Remembered for His Love of Hockey
When you take Thornton’s ability as a player and combine it with his character, you get the quality he should be best known for: a constant, undying passion for hockey. He lived and breathed the sport, wanted nothing more than to play it, and was practically born to play it.
Related: Patrick Marleau’s Top 5 Moments as a San Jose Shark
That inherent desire to be on the ice is what led to so many of the memories that fans hold of him. It’s how he played a playoff series with two torn ligaments in his left knee. It’s why he declared, after winning the 2016 Western Conference Final before the other series was settled, that he didn’t care who won the other series and he would be fine if they decided to dress 40 players. It’s what led him, one month before his 40th birthday, to state — only somewhat jokingly — that he wanted to play 10 more seasons in the NHL.
Indirectly, it’s why he has a family. Unwilling to go without hockey during the 2004-2005 NHL lockout, he left to play for HC Davos in Switzerland, where he met his wife, with whom he has two children. He never forgot the impact that team had on him, returning to them twice more when NHL seasons were delayed in 2012 and 2020 due to another lockout and the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively.
Thornton played professional hockey for a quarter-century — more than half of his life so far — and didn’t officially retire until he was 44. In retirement, he remains involved with the Sharks, going so far as to house and mentor 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini this season. He also stays close with other franchise icons, including Patrick Marleau, whom he played alongside for more than a decade. Now, their jerseys are set to sit next to one another at SAP Center.
Thornton’s jersey retirement is, at its core, a celebration of a player, but as a whole, it is far more than that. It will commemorate a singular, unique person who loved his job and showed that in just about everything he did in his life. It’s the perfect way to honor a man who embraced a team and saw the team embrace him back.
