Connect with us

San Jose Sharks

Henry Thrun Has Always Been Mature Beyond His Years

Published

on

Credit: Dave Thrun

BOSTON — 12-year-old Henry Thrun sounds a lot like the 23-year-old version.



“At the age of 12, my job was done. He took full ownership. He wanted to be hockey player, and that’s all he wanted to do,” Henry’s dad Dave Thrun, who coached Henry until he was 12, told San Jose Hockey Now. “He took full ownership of his development on the ice, off the ice, working out, a physical regimen, diet.”

So this moment, Southborough native Henry Thrun playing his first NHL game at home, when his San Jose Sharks face off against the Boston Bruins on Monday afternoon, perhaps shouldn’t be any surprise.

Henry Thrun, courtesy Dave Thrun

No doubt, Henry Thrun has earned it.

“We had an outdoor rink. He was out there before school, shooting pucks. He was out there after school, shooting pucks. He was out there in the middle of the night, shooting pucks,” Dave Thrun, who works in financial services, said.

“Never had to tell him it’s time for practice. We never had to tell him, you need to go to this camp,” Dave Thrun, who credited wife Deborah for a lot of the hockey rides, recalled. “It was always him telling us what he’d want to do, and him driving the agenda.”

Even back then, the steady San Jose Sharks defenseman knew his role, and was mature beyond his years.

Henry Thrun, courtesy Dave Thrun

“He’s skilled. He’s not the most skilled. But he’s smart and he’s really passionate,” Dave Thrun said. “He’s never tried to overextend himself to do more than what he should do. He understands his game really well, where he fits in and where he needs to develop and grow.”

That’s no knock on Thrun, but more, a tribute to his self-awareness and approach. He doesn’t lack for skill — he was one of top amateur players in the country with the USNTDP, a 2019 Anaheim Ducks’ fourth-round pick, and cost the San Jose Sharks a third-round pick in a 2023 trade — but there’s also something to be said about embracing your role. And there’s a place in any line-up for a smart and steady defenseman like Thrun.

Thrun has even talked to his dad about the San Jose Sharks defensemen that he’s seeking advice from.

“He truly is a student of the game,” Dave Thrun said, noting that his son has told him about conversations with stalwarts like Jan Rutta and Marc-Edouard Vlasic about “stick positioning and where to be on the ice.”

Not everybody can score goals — you need people to stop goals too.

“He’s a kind of kid and player that he makes a play that leads to a play that leads to a goal, and he’s [already sitting] on the bench,” Dave Thrun said, proudly.

Henry Thrun, courtesy Dave Thrun

Henry Thrun, courtesy Dave Thrun

Henry & Will Thrun, courtesy Dave Thrun

Sheng’s Travel Fund

Help fund Sheng's travel! Every dollar goes to the cost of getting to and from Sharks road games.


Click here to contribute to Sheng's travel pool!

Get SJHN in your inbox!

Enter your email address to get all of our articles delivered directly to your inbox.

Hockey Shots

Extra Hour Hockey Training

Cathy’s Power Skating

Sharks Team & Cap Info