William Espy
On Saturday night, the San Jose Sharks honored a key part of their history when they retired Joe Thornton’s number. After the ceremony concluded, the Sharks faced the Buffalo Sabres and it didn’t take long for the current Sharks to honor the past.
Halfway through the first period, Jake Walman fired a shot from the point which was tipped. James Reimer made the initial save for Buffalo, but Fabian Zetterlund put the rebound away for his eighth goal of the season and giving the San Jose Sharks a 1-0 lead. After scoring, Zetterlund paid tribute to Thornton with a “beard stroking” celebration.
Fabian Zetterlund scores and gives love to Joe Thornton!
1-0 #TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/Au9HTELrlA
— JD Young (@MyFryHole) November 24, 2024
During the intermission, Drew Remenda asked Zetterlund about the celebration:
Zetterlund tells Drew Remenda about his Thornton beard celly: "I was thinking about it earlier today. If someone on my line scored, we were going to do the beard thing…Jumbo is such an idol for a lot of guys."
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) November 24, 2024
Just over a minute after Zetterlund scored, Peyton Krebs scored an equalizer. He responded with a tribute to Thornton of his own by pointing at the No. 19 on the back of his jersey.
Peyton Krebs points to his #19 to honor Joe Thornton after scoring. Pretty cool. pic.twitter.com/73oGC5IL4c
— The Charging Buffalo (@TheChargingBUF) November 24, 2024
While it’s clear that the San Jose Sharks have been heavily influenced by Thornton, Krebs’s celebration showed that they’re not the only ones. Jumbo’s impact extends across the entire league, not just the Sharks.