Despite recent spat, Joe Thornton sees himself retiring as a Shark
Despite a recent public spat with GM Doug Wilson, Joe Thornton reaffirmed his commitment to the San Jose Sharks and says he hopes to retire with the club he's been with since 2005-06.
By
Chris Peters
•
3 min read
Amid all the turmoil that has surrounded the San Jose Sharks over the last several days, Joe Thornton reaffirmed his commitment to the team he has been with for nearly a decade. The 35-year-old confirmed to the Toronto Sun that despite a recent spat with general manager Doug Wilson and being stripped of the captaincy over the summer, he wants to stay with the team for as long as he is able to play in the league.
“I see myself as a Shark. My contract is up in two years and I still feel like playing, I want to be a Shark,” Thornton told QMI Agency Wednesday. “I love San Jose. I honestly see myself definitely finishing this contract and if I have the legs to hopefully play longer, stay in San Jose.”
Thornton is in the first season of a three-year extension worth US$20.25 million, one he just signed during the 2013-14 campaign. And despite his hot-and-cold relationship with his GM, the veteran centre claims he still has yet to be approached about waiving his no-trade clause.
“Doug’s never asked me to,” Thornton said. “I think people thought over the summer he asked me but he didn’t.”
Thornton is under contract through the 2016-17 season and though he is no longer the captain, he remains the face of the franchise.
Eyebrows were raised last week when Wilson gave an especially candid response to season ticket holders about why Thornton lost the captaincy. Among the reasons, Wilson noted that the pressure sometimes caused Thornton to lash out at his teammates and that was having a negative impact.
Thornton angrily responded when asked about the comments, stating “Doug needs to shut his mouth” and “stop lying.”
The two later patched things up according to Wilson, who said that he and Thornton had a phone conversation soon after the big forward’s terse response to what he thought of Wilson’s commentary on the captaincy.
Thornton shared some of his thoughts on his side of the spat with the Sun:
“It was just something that kind of came out,” Thornton said Wednesday regarding his stinging comments about Wilson. “Sometimes, I think, that’s what makes hockey such a great sport — there are so many emotions that come together. It’s an emotional sport and it’s good to have all those emotions, I think.”
Asked directly about his relationship with Wilson, Thornton offered the generic answer of “Ya ya, I’m all good with everybody. Today’s a new day, let’s keep it going.”
Perhaps the frustration with Wilson is still smoldering, but the two are married to each other until at least the end of the season.
The fact of the matter is, the Sharks are better with Thornton than they are without him. He has 800 points in a Sharks uniform, including 60 in 66 games this season. Despite his advancing age, he remains one of the game’s great playmakers and passers and should have his No. 19 retired the second he does.
If the Sharks want to make changes to the leadership core to give the younger players like Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture more of a voice, that's only natural and certainly not unprecedented in the league. But if Thornton is happy in San Jose, he should be there.
Blame for the Sharks' playoff failures is often misattributed. So often, star players take the blame when the team can't advance. Beyond last year's flameout in the first round, in which Thornton truly struggled, he has maintained his production in the postseason pretty soundly.
Returning the focus back to this season, the Sharks are now in tough to get into the playoffs this season. They trail the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames by five points for third place in the Pacific Division as of Wednesday and are six points out of the last wild card spot currently held by the Winnipeg Jets.
Missing the playoffs could -- and probably should -- result in changes for the organization, but based on Thornton’s contract and his no-movement clause, it is far more likely that management will change before the former captain hangs up his skates.
[H/T Fear The Fin]
