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Pure Jumbo: Thornton Gives Jersey Retirement Speech To Remember

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3 weeks ago

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Credit: Dean Tait/Sport Shots

Joe Thornton gave a jersey retirement speech to remember.

No doubt, the speech, the night, this entire weekend, was pure Jumbo.

Here’s some of the best from a rollicking 30-minute speech, and the highlights from Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Ryane Clowe, and Douglas Murray tribute videos that left Thornton in tears, more often than not.

Emotions, Humor Run Rampant

Even before he took the microphone to start his speech, it was clear that Thornton’s emotions were getting the best of him. He wasn’t the only one either, Clowe and Marleau both shed tears as they watched their friend being honored as well. During his speech, Thornton had many moments where he struggled to speak due to the emotion of the moment. It was clear that the ceremony meant the world to him, but more so it was obvious that he was thankful that his family and long-time friends were there with him.

Despite the emotion of the night, Thornton didn’t lose his well-known positivity and sense of humor. At one point, he mentioned the fact that his family is billeting Macklin Celebrini, before adding with a laugh, “Mack, thanks for helping out with grade six math. It’s not one of my strong suits.”

Team Player Over Everything

Thornton’s team-first mentality is well-known but many don’t know exactly how deep that goes for him. Being stripped of the captaincy often results in a player leaving an organization in unceremonious fashion, but that was far from the case for Jumbo.

Pavelski mentioned a moment when shortly after he was named captain in 2015, and he ran into the man he replaced, Thornton. Despite the fact that they were close friends, nobody would’ve blamed the elder Joe if he was frustrated about losing his captaincy. Instead, Thornton once again showed that he was the ultimate team player.

Calling Out Teammates

Continuing with his humorous approach, Thornton listed out his “favorite nicknames” from over the years.

He then called out Marc-Edouard Vlasic in a lighthearted moment saying, “Pickles, still wearing the same suit from 2006? Soon it might be back in style!”

Brent Burns and Tomas Hertl also didn’t escape Thornton’s jokes despite not being in attendance. First, he mentioned Hertl and his legendary four-goal game from early in his career before he then turned his attention to Burns.

Then Thornton continued, “Burnzie, the animal noises you would make to let me know you were open, they weren’t necessary because I saw you. But that’s just who you are, you’re a wild animal and I love you for it.”

Honoring Others

There were a lot of Thornton’s friends and family in attendance for the jersey retirement ceremony, but he took time to acknowledge those who unfortunately couldn’t be. Notably, he mentioned former Shark Bryan Marchment who passed away in 2022.

He also made sure to mention his friend, and legendary Canadian singer, Gord Downie:

Legendary Duo

Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau are the two names that are synonymous with the San Jose Sharks. Marleau’s number was retired in 2023, and he spoke about having Thornton permanently join him in the rafters, “To see Jumbo’s number up there next to mine… It just makes me happy.”

At one point, Thornton returned the sentiment when he talked about how Marleau accepted him right out of the gate after being traded to San Jose.

“You were gracious enough to share that responsibility with me,” Thornton said to his long-time teammate. “I’m so grateful for you for that. It was truly an honor to be your teammate, friend, and roommate. I’m absolutely humbled to have my number up there next to yours.”

That’s Who the Thorntons Are

During his tribute video for Thornton, Douglas Murray revealed a secret he promised Jumbo that he’d never tell.

“I got a phone call about three years into my career, I was asked to come and help move a family. I drive to the address and they’re moving into a two-bedroom apartment in San Jose. I’m like ‘Who’s living here? Did we trade for a player or something?’ [Murray said before Thornton replied,] ‘No, it’s a mom with two kids and she’s homeless and she needed a place to stay, but you can’t tell anyone about this’… Nobody knew. That’s who [Joe and wife Tabea Thornton] are.”

Joe’s Dad Agrees With Fans

Early in his speech, Thornton acknowledged the fans who constantly yelled “Shoot!” at him when he had the puck in a prime scoring area. Although he never listened, Jumbo joked that the fans weren’t alone with that request. His father Wayne Thornton often said the same thing to him whenever they arrived at the arena together.

Joe Thornton’s name will always be a key part of the San Jose Sharks’ history. Although that would’ve been true regardless of if his number was retired or not, the Sharks’ most valuable dynamic duo are now immortalized together at the SAP Center.

 

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