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Joe Thornton is tougher than all of us

April 25, 2017, 11:29 AM ET [25 Comments]
Steve Palumbo
San Jose Sharks Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Losing in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs was not a preseason goal for the San Jose Sharks. In fact the Sharks had lofty expectations. Expectations that fell woefully short.

Fans probably had very similar goals for their team. Finish the job and win that elusive Stanley Cup. I'll admit...I expected more myself. And for two-thirds of the regular season it felt like the Sharks were ready to complete the task at hand. Then it all quickly unraveled.

The collapse was punctuated by a rash of injuries, including to the teams iron man - Jumbo Joe Thornton. The 38-year-old hadn't missed a regular season game in years before a knee injury sidelined him. Thornton played it off in the media and guaranteed he'd be ready for the playoffs. San Jose breathed a collective sigh of relief. The offensively challenged Sharks would have at least one more bullet in the chamber for another extended playoff run.

However, when the puck dropped for games one and two in Edmonton, Thornton was in a suit and tie - not road white and teal. The bearded dragon was fibbing about just how hurt he was and his absence validated what many already knew.

But, just like any true warrior the future hall of famer made his was back into the series. Thornton collected two assists while averaging nearly 19 minutes a game in each of the final four games of the series. Not bad for an old man, right?

It wasn't until the final horn sounded on San Jose's season that we learned the full extent of Thornton's injury.

Quick side bar - selfishly I like the exit interviews following a playoff series loss. That's when all the good stuff comes out. The injuries are revealed and the repercussions of losing have finally set in. Great drama if you're into that sort of thing.

But I digress....

Head coach Pete DeBoer spilled the beans and admitted his star center fought through the pain of a torn MCL and ACL. A real man's man that Joe Thornton.
“I’ve never seen a guy play with a torn MCL and ACL,” DeBoer said. “It’s a courageous effort as I’ve ever seen.”

Thornton will have surgery this off season as he prepares to become an unrestricted free agent. We will get into that in a future blog. This blog is about how much more of man Thornton is than most of us.

In a sport known for the toughness and durability of its athletes, Thornton stands out in my mind as tougher than most and that says a lot.

Imagine playing a sport as physically demanding as hockey on one knee? The amount of starting, stopping, cutting, turning and torque involved in a single shift is mind-boggling and this dude played 19 effective minutes per game. I bet Joonas Donskoi wishes he could say the same thing on two good knees. Maybe, just maybe, if more of the Sharks worked as hard as Thornton we'd be talking about an incredible Sharks/Ducks series.

The season might be over, but my respect for Jumbo has never been greater. Thornton has over 1,000 career points and still wants to play the game. He's proven to be an effective point producer and a tremendous leader. Add in that he's one tough SOB and re-signing him has to be a no-brainer for Mr. Wilson. Make it happen.

Thanks for reading,
Steve
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