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Joe Thornton | Center

Team: San Jose Sharks
Age / DOB:  (33) / 7/2/1979
Ht / Wt:  6'4' / 235
Contract: view contract details
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Recent News

Joe Thornton earned a lot of praise for his efforts in Game 4 on Tuesday.
Thornton had an assist in San Jose's 2-1 victory. "That was vintage Joe Thornton right there," Logan Couture said. "Unbelievable. Creating turnovers, making passes, skating like a young guy. He was flying, and I know me personally, it got me going. We need Joe to play like that for the rest of the playoffs." May 22 - 11:00 AM

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Date:

Joe Thornton has dominated the Los Angeles Kings in the faceoff circle three games into San Jose's second-round series.

He has won 62.7 percent (32 of 51) of his draws against the Kings going into Tuesday night's Game 4 match-up. Thornton won just 39 of his 83 faceoffs in San Jose's four-game sweep versus Vancouver in Round 1. "The last couple games, it's been working out for me. Hopefully I can continue that," Thornton said. "Puck possession is everything, so as much as you can have the puck, it's better to get on offense. It's a competitive situation. You just try to win as many as you can." Thornton has collected an assist in each of the Sharks' past two games to give him eight points in seven playoff outings.
May 20 - 6:36 PM

After sweeping the Vancouver Canucks, the San Jose Sharks have some light days ahead of them.

Joe Thornton said the next few days would be about resting and getting healthy. It's a great opportunity for the Sharks to stay fresh, especially given how rough this year's condensed schedule was, but it could also make them rusty going into the second round. They will likely go a little over a week between games.
May 9 - 10:42 AM

Captain Joe Thornton acknowledged Saturday that the team was concerned about sustaining injuries in its regular season finale against the Kings.

Once it became clear the Sharks weren't in a position to gain home-ice advantage for the playoffs, the team's greatest concern was ensuring none of their key players sustained injuries. "You want to win every game we play, but you don’t want to get hurt," Thornton said. "We tried our best. They were better than us." The Sharks will square off against Vancouver in the opening round of the playoffs.
Apr 28 - 8:37 AM

Coach Todd McLellan moved Joe Thornton to the fourth line between Andrew Desjardins and Adam Burish at the start of the third period Sunday.

Thornton had been playing between T.J. Galiardi and Brent Burns earlier in the game but with the Sharks not playing well, McLellan made the switch and put Scott Gomez at center for Galiardi and Burns. Thornton was a plus-one when Desjardins scored a beautiful goal in the third so these line combinations may stay intact when the Sharks take on Dallas Tuesday.
Apr 22 - 10:06 AM

Joe Thornton had an assist on Tuesday.

Thornton is in a four-way tie for fourth place in the NHL with 31 assists. He logged a season-low 10:30 minutes on April 9, but he has three points in four games since then.
Apr 17 - 10:34 AM

Joe Thornton logged a season-low 10:30 of ice time in Tuesday's 4-0 loss to Columbus.

The Sharks center acknowledged that he has to play better and coach Todd McLellan agrees. "Absolutely, he has to be better. There are situations that he has to be better in," said San Jose's bench boss. "I'm glad that he took that responsibility. He's the leader, everybody follows. It starts with him, but there are other guys, as well." Thornton's line, alongside Martin Havlat and Brent Burns, were responsible for some defensive lapses, which led to their benching.
Apr 10 - 5:47 PM

Joe Thornton scored a goal and an assist to help the San Jose Sharks win their sixth game in a row on Wednesday.

Jumbo Joe extended his point streak to four games (two tallies, four assists) as the Sharks bested the Minnesota Wild 4-2. He's really delivered what many hoped for, in many cases by a relatively cheap draft price, with almost a point per game (35 in 36) and a moderate throwback to his power forward days with 24 PIM.
Apr 4 - 1:59 AM

Joe Thornton scored his sixth of the season and added an assist in the San Jose Sharks 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

With 33 points in 35 games, it's been another solid season for the playmaking center. He has been the most consistent Sharks forward this season and continues to be a must start in all formats.
Apr 2 - 1:24 AM

Joe Thornton registered his 25th assist of the season on Thursday.

Thornton hasn't been held off the scoresheet in back-to-back contests since Feb. 12-15. He's putting together another superb season with five goals and 30 points in 33 games.
Mar 29 - 10:10 AM

Joe Thornton was the San Jose Sharks' lone goal scorer as they fell 4-1 to the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

Jumbo Joe had a tough go of things in February after a red-hot start to 2013, so the Sharks have to hope that this is a sign he's getting it together. The Sharks aren't totally out of the mix, but they need to turn their season around soon.
Mar 7 - 12:41 AM

Joe Thornton had an assist in San Jose's 2-1 loss Friday.

Thornton has just three points in nine games this month after recording an incredible 14 points in seven contests in January. That balances Thornton out to a roughly point-per-game player, which is where he should end up when the dust settles on the 2013 campaign.
Feb 23 - 11:09 AM

Joe Thornton scored for the fourth time this season in San Jose's 2-1 win versus St. Louis Tuesday.

The marker was his first since Jan. 27, which is a span of nine games. Tim Kennedy registered the game-winning goal in the contest, while Dan Boyle and Patrick Marleau found their way onto the scoresheet with an assist each.
Feb 19 - 11:08 PM

Joe Thornton commented on his fight with the Blackhawks Jonathan Toews after Friday night's game.

"He asked me to fight, and I was kind of shocked, but said sure," Thornton said. "He hit me from behind. It wasn't anything serious, but he asked me to fight and I obliged." The days of Joe Thornton registering 100 penalty minutes are a distant memory, as proven by the fact Jumbo Joe had only been assessed one measly minor penalty prior to picking up seven PIM in Friday's clash with the Hawks.
Feb 17 - 8:57 AM

Joe Thornton exploded for three assists and his first goal of the season in the Sharks 5-3 win over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Thornton has kept his skills sharp by playing overseas during the lockout, racking up nine points in the first three games. He still has a few elite seasons left due to his vision and IQ on the ice. Having some of the elite snipers in NHL on his wing also helps. The Sharks are arguably the most fantasy friendly team in the NHL, with Thornton being one of the main reasons. He fed Patrick Marleau twice and Logan Couture, two of his elite teammates. He's still an elite center, and with a lower average draft position, is providing the best value since his early years in Boston.
Jan 25 - 3:50 AM

Depth Charts

All Positions
PosRoleName
C1Joe Thornton
2Logan Couture
3Scott Gomez
4Andrew Desjardins
5Bracken Kearns
LW1Patrick Marleau
2Tim Kennedy
3T.J. Galiardi
4James Sheppard
5Raffi Torres
RW1Joe Pavelski
2Martin Havlat
3Tommy Wingels
4Adam Burish
D1Dan Boyle
2Brent Burns
3Brad Stuart
4Marc-Edouard Vlasic
5Jason Demers
6Justin Braun
7Scott Hannan
8Matt Irwin
G1Antti Niemi
2Thomas Greiss