GOTTA SEE IT: Sharks’ Tribute Video to Thornton

In typical Joe Thornton fashion, he wanted to get the game going.

The San Jose Sharks welcomed back the franchise icon to SAP Center for the first time since his departure after the 2019-20 season.

In 15 years in teal, Joe Thornton accumulated 1,055 points, a 2006 Hart Trophy, a 2016 Stanley Cup Final appearance, and a lifetime of memories.

“He was a pillar of this organization,” head coach Bob Boughner said. “There’s no other player. You think about the San Jose Sharks, and Jumbo is the first guy that comes to mind.”

So who better than Jumbo for a two-minute pre-game tribute video?

A familiar face returns to the Tank tonight 🥲👏 pic.twitter.com/4ILxJaM6yI

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) March 16, 2022

But Thornton, who said this morning that he didn’t expect any tribute, wasn’t haven’t it. About midway through the tribute, he was trying to hurry things along. See halfway here:

Jumbo wants them to hurry up with the tribute video, get the game going pic.twitter.com/VOrRhAAYR8

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) March 16, 2022

Jumbo just wanted to get the game started 😂

WELCOME BACK, JOE 🐐 pic.twitter.com/6QXhmaYOj6

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 16, 2022

Gotta See It: Big smiles for Jumbo Joe as fans give him a well-deserved standing ovation. 👏

Joe Thornton is welcomed back to the SAP Center for the first time since leaving in 2020.

Presented by @Charmin | #EnjoyTheGo pic.twitter.com/JoelbS7V3X

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 16, 2022

Hopefully, Thornton enjoyed the tribute video and the passionate SAP Center crowd. It was a small crowd of 12,276 — the smallest crowd that Joe Thornton has ever seen at SAP Center, at least going back to 2015-16 — but they showered Jumbo with love.

Thornton’s parents Wayne and Mary were also on hand tonight.

“It was great,” Brent Burns said of the tribute video. “You could have had Steven Spielberg do a two-and-a-half hour movie with him and nobody would have got bored.”