Canadian power forward Joe Thornton, the last remaining player in the NHL to have played in the 1990’s, officially confirmed his retirement after an illustrious 24-season NHL career, retiring at age 44 with an NHL MVP and scoring title, Swiss championship, Olympic Gold Medal, World Junior Gold Medal and two World Cup titles for Team Canada.

The top pick of Boston in the 1997 NHL Draft, Thornton debuted immediately for the Bruins, spending his first eight seasons in Beantown, being named an NHL All-Star once, before being traded to the San Jose Sharks in December 2005, a season that would see Thornton capture the Hart and Art Ross Trophy as the league’s MVP and top scorer, a rare feat for a season split between two franchises. Thornton would see his greatest success in the Bay, spending fifteen seasons (with four as captain) in the Sharks’ prime years, helping lead the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016, being named an NHL All-Star three more times. Thornton, now well into his forties, would play single seasons in Toronto and Florida before calling it quits, ending his career with 1,539 points in 1,714 career NHL games, along with another 134 points in 187 career playoff games. Thornton would also spend three seasons with HC Davos of the Swiss National League, winning the NL Title in 2005.

Nicknamed “Jumbo” for a tale of historical lore from his native St. Thomas, Ontario, Thornton debuted for Team Canada at the 1997 World Juniors, capturing Gold in Geneva. Thornton made his senior team debut at the 2001 World Championship, his first of just two Worlds appearances, winning Silver on his second attempt in 2005. Thornton made his “best on best” debut at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, capturing Gold, making his Olympic debut two years later in Turin, with his second and final appearance in Vancouver much more successful, part of a thrilling home soil Gold medal victory. Thornton, a dual Canadian-Swiss citizen by marriage, competed at the 2013 Spengler Cup while playing in Davos, and made his final Canadian appearance at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, winning Gold in his final national outing.

Thornton captured the IHLC six times in his career, first to open the 1997 World Juniors, with the final coming twenty years later in the lead-up to the 2016 World Cup. We wish Joe and his family the very best for his retirement and the things to come!

Photo Credit: Getty Images – IIHF – HHOF – IOC