Joe Thornton’s leadership earns him the captaincy in San Jose
The San Jose Sharks are as much a talent-laden team as they are a leadership-laden one. Some of their players combine both skills into a potent combination on a regular basis, and centre
Joe Thornton is a perfect example of that.
Thornton’s combination of talent, leadership, and skill has earned him the captaincy with the Sharks. Head coach Todd McLellan made the announcement on Thursday morning, October 7, just
before the Sharks’ season opener on Friday afternoon. McLellan also named three alternate captains. Patrick Marleau and Ryane Clowe will share one ‘A’, while defender Dan Boyle will sport an ‘A’ on a permanent basis.
This will be Thorton’s second stint as the captain of a National Hockey League team. He served as captain of the Boston Bruins for many years, and was an alternate captain prior to that.
The 6ft 4in native of London, Ontario also wore an ‘A’ for the Sharks, which he earned shortly after his arrival from Boston.
Thornton, or 'Jumbo Joe', is coming off of an 89-point (20 goals, 69 assists) campaign in San Jose. He has
scored at least 20 goals during his years with the Sharks, and reached a career-high 114 points (22G, 92A) in 2006-07. His size, strength, and ability have branded him as an elite power forward, and he ranks among the best play-making centres in the NHL today.
Drafted first overall by the Bruins in 1997, Thornton struggled in his early years with the team. In 2002-03, he scored 36 goals and 65 assists for 101 points that season. In later years,
Thornton became irritated with the Bruins’ management, and was eventually traded to San Jose on November 30, 2005.
With the Sharks, Thornton found instant chemistry with new line-mate Patrick Marleau, and when right-winger Dany Heatley arrived after a trade from Ottawa, the chemistry continued. The
trio of forwards eventually became one of the most dangerous offensive lines in the NHL. All three players were also part of the Canadian team that won a gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
In 915 career NHL games, Thornton has amassed 285 goals and 646 assists for a total of 931 points. The Sharks will begin the 2010-11 NHL season with a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets
on Friday, October 8, at noon.
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