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Leafs press release:
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that the hockey club has signed forward Joe Thornton to a one-year contract. The value of the contract is $700,000.
Thornton, 41, skated in 70 regular season games with San Jose last season, registering 31 points (7 goals, 24 assists). In 1,636 career NHL regular season games between the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks, Thornton has recorded 1,509 points (420 goals, 1089 assists) while adding 133 points (31 goals, 102 assists) in 179 playoff games. The six-time All Star captured both the Art Ross Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy in 2006.
Internationally, the London, Ontario native has represented Canada several times, capturing an Olympic gold medal (2010), two World Cup gold medals (2004, 2016), one gold medal at the 1997 IIHF World Jr. Championships as well as a Spengler Cup with Davos in 2005.
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While the Toronto Maple Leafs have been busy with a trade and four significant free-agent signings in the last week, the club has also been attempting to bolster their American Hockey League roster with some veterans.
The Marlies had difficulty adjusting to new bench boss Greg Moore, going 19-25-2 after Sheldon Keefe took over as Leafs head coach in late November, with a number of players being called up to the NHL due to injuries and with 2019 leading scorer Jeremy Bracco away from the club on an extended leave of absence.
With veterans Pontus Aberg, Matt Read, Garrett Wilson, Mason Marchment (traded to Florida), Jordan Schmaltz, Kevin Gravel, Ben Harpur, and Kasimir Kaskisuo not returning, the Leafs are looking to fill out their AHL roster.
The Marlies re-signed veteran tough guy Richard Clune and forward Tyler Gaudet on Friday, but also added enforcer Scott Sabourin and former San Jose Shark Rourke Chartier on AHL deals.
Sabourin, 28, played over 300 career AHL games with seven different clubs before making his NHL debut with Ottawa last season. The 6’3… 208 lb. winger played 35 games for the Sens last season and missed nearly two months after a concussion and multiple facial injuries after a collision with Boston’s David Backes.
“I never got to show what I have. I’m feeling better than I have since my first year.… Chartier said to former Hockeybuzz writer Sheng Peng. “No one wants to sit out. But if I would have made the choice to sit out longer earlier, I don’t think I would have had to sit out this long this time.…
In ex-Marlies news, after not receiving a qualifying offer last week, Bracco was signed by the Carolina Hurricanes to a one-year, $700,000 two-way deal. In spite of missing the last six weeks of the regular season, the 23-year-old winger finished third in scoring with 34 points (4 goals, 30 assists) in 44 games.
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— Norman James (@IamNormanJames) October 15, 2020