William Espy
Everybody in the hockey world knows about Joe Thornton.
But a few were lucky enough to know him off of the ice, and even fewer knew him on the ice.
On the eve of the San Jose Sharks retiring Joe Thornton’s No. 19 on Nov. 23, some of his former teammates described him, both on and off of the ice, painting a picture of the real “Jumbo”.
Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski, Mike Grier, Scott Thornton, and Dan Boyle shared their thoughts.
“We’ve Got You”
Thornton has always been known as a leader and a mentor during his time in the NHL.
In Game Seven of the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Joe Pavelski was injured by a hit from Cody Eakin of the Vegas Golden Knights. One of the players who rushed to his aid was Joe Thornton.
Pavelski recalled the moment, saying it was one of his favorite memories of Thornton. “I just remember him saying, ‘We’ve got you, you’re gonna be alright. We’ve got you.’ That’s one that definitely sticks with me.
There’s a lot [of memories] in the locker room, it’s just a big accumulation of everything.”
Always Made Everybody Comfortable
During his playing days, Thornton’s priorities were always on finding ways to help the team, something Marleau noticed right out of the gate when he arrived in San Jose.
“He just has that way to disarm people and making them feel comfortable and relaxed. He was always thinking about the team. He did that to make them feel comfortable so they played better. Just to have that mindset, he wanted to have everybody comfortable, happy, and playing at their best,” Marleau said.
“I remember some dinners at Jumbo’s house my first year or two, sitting out by the pool, talking about certain things, and having some laughs. Those things stuck with me, and I still remember it,” Pavelski said.
Thornton’s cousin, Scott Thornton went more in-depth about the dinners that Joe often hosted: “[Joe and wife Tabea] always hosted a lot of people at their house, bringing young guys in, single guys in for dinners, and just making them comfortable. That goes a long way. That’s kind of an old school thing, when I came in, the veterans always embraced young guys. You’re always hosting dinners and parties and football matches, and so Joe just kind of carried that forward.”
Dan Boyle echoed that sentiment: “He’s an easy guy to like and he takes care of the young guys.”
Like a Coach
Scott described Joe as a unique person to play with because he was “like an assistant coach” while playing: “On the bench, the way he was talking to me, the way he dictated play on the ice and told me where to go and what to do. I never played with anybody that kind of coached from within, like that, and it was a lot of fun. [It] made me better. I wish it lasted longer.”
Scott Thornton played just one season with his cousin, Joe Thornton’s debut season in teal.
“He made everybody around him better,” said Patrick Marleau. “He had a knack for that. He knew exactly how he wanted players to play with him and where they needed to be. If you went to those spots, you were going to have the puck on your stick, and you were gonna have some really good looks at the net.”
Still All About the Team
No one was surprised that Thornton is still helping out the young guys.
2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini is living with Thornton and 2023 fourth-overall Will Smith is living with Marleau.
San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier said that Thornton’s personality is helping the organization even today: “His love, passion, and joy for the game of hockey, I think it rubs off on everyone from his first game with the organization through today. Seeing him around the rink, it’s infectious, having him smile, be around and just love to talk hockey, be around hockey. I think it’s a huge part of what this organization is.”
The Biggest Kid in the World
Joe Thornton’s fun-loving, easy-going personality off of the ice is well-established at this point.
Scott summed it up when he called Joe, “the biggest kid in the world.” He then elaborated, “I’m always talking about him, and I never get tired of telling stories about Joe. I mean, he’s a character that you don’t see very often in the game. On and off the ice, he’s a big part of the locker room environment and the culture. Then his game on the ice speaks for itself. One of the greatest passers to ever play the game… Joe just brought a different character, he was larger than just the game itself. I think fans recognize that, and he’s fun to watch. He’s a show in his own right, and so I think people embrace that he really is just a down-to-earth guy, and just loves the sport. “
Marleau described Thornton in a similar way: “He just always had this smile on his face, always loved to play hockey, and just loves the boys being around. It’s fun to see that. He hasn’t changed, he’s just grown.”
Turning the Page
Thornton also had a knack to find positivity, even when things were trending downwards. He didn’t dwell on bad games or moments, something he helped teach Marleau.
“I know for a fact, he helped my career out tremendously. Just the way he approached the game, the way he came to the rink, happy, ready to go to work,” he said. “And he was really quick at turning the page if there was a bad game and I think that boded well for our club a lot of nights when we did have a tough night, we were ready to go back to work and have fun doing it the next day.”
Grier saw the same thing from Thornton when they played together: “I never saw too many things really bother him. I think it goes back to his kind of love of the game. Every day he was in the league, I think was a blessing for him. So he showed up and worked. Even though he probably had the pressure of the world to try and win here, I don’t think it ever really got to him.”
Grier also noted how Thornton’s mindset can undoubtedly help the current Sharks roster as well: “It’s a great trait to have, not just young guys, for everyone, to not let one bad shift turn into three bad shifts, turn into a bad period, turn into a bad game, and the next bad game. So that’s something I think our group can learn, and it’s a skill that Jumbo had in spades. “
Always Available and Ready to Work
A strong work ethic is one of the most valuable assets a person can have, not just in professional sports but in life in general.
According to Grier, Thornton’s work ethic was exemplary: “He always showed up to work, whether it was banged up, not feeling well, whatever, he was always working. Having played with some other really good players in the league, [Jaromir] Jagr was the same way, showed up every day, worked, did extra things, and was always available.”
One thing is clear, both on and off of the ice, Joe Thornton’s former teammates regard him as a special person. They love him, and he loved them.
I’m sure they’d all agree that there’s no one more deserving of getting his jersey retired by the San Jose Sharks.