Joe Thornton will join Patrick Marleau hanging in teal above all future San Jose Sharks games
If you have ever been to the Shark tank, you will know that there is just one number immortalized above the ice at the SAP Center. That would be the iconic #12 of Patrick Marleau. The NHL's all time leader in games played, and the sensational player that he was for the Sharks earned him that right to become the first player to have their jersey retired by the Sharks. He was one of the best players in the league for a long time.
Recently, the San Jose Sharks have announced that his partner in crime will join him hanging from the rafters. The iconic Jumbo Joe Thornton number 19 will go up at some point next season, and it will give us all something to look forward to as the Sharks look to numb the pain of the rebuild by honoring giants of the past. Jumbo Joe earned his nickname both on and off the ice. He was a building block for the prolonged success the San Jose Sharks enjoyed.
As the Sharks look to build for the future with new young players, they will be looking to try to surpass the accomplishments achieved by the old guard as they stand on the shoulders of giants. Trying to win the first Stanley Cup in the organizations history is almost the only thing that the Sharks old guard didn't achieve, so honoring the former captain and one of the NHL's all time leaders in almost everything is a good decision.
Over his 15 years in the Bay Area, Thornton recorded 251 goals and 804 assists for 1055 points in 1104 games. A four time all star, Thornton won the Art Ross trophy as the league's top point producer and the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2006, his first season in San Jose. When he arrived here from his 8 years in Boston, he was an outcast. Here, he became one of the most dominant players the league has ever seen.
Thornton's 1,539 career points have him sitting 13th in league history, behind Sidney Crosby who only recently passed the big bearded force of nature. Thornton was feared when he was playing as someone that round go through the defender, around the defender, or between the defensive pair. He was able to utilize the exceptional tool kit he had. That size, strength and power made him a nightmare for the league, and we all loved it.
There is no one more deserving of a retirement than the big London, Ontario native. He embodies what it means to be a Sharks. He carries himself with dignity and pride, and the Sharks were lucky to have a player and a man like this in their organization. He's back in the area with his family now after a retirement tour on the east coast, and he's bringing the beard home.