Joe Thornton is not the most important player
in San Jose Sharks franchise history. He isn't Owen Nolan, who became the heart
and soul of a team trying to find its way in the big, bad NHL. He isn't Igor
Larionov, who brought a style and tactical elegance to playing hockey that
would set a blueprint that was followed until 2020. He isn't even Joe Pavelski,
Captain America, who wore his heart on his sleeve and showed that the race
isn't always to the fastest or most skilled, but often to those who want it the
most.
Rather, Joe Thornton symbolized the rare synthesis between place
and profession. Heck, he was the San Jose Sharks in the eyes of many fans,
especially those who live further east and perhaps don't pay enough attention
to what happens 'out west'.
At the best of times, he seemed to be the
embodiment of the 'mythical' California stereotype. Cool. Laid back. Yet
somehow, some way, still irresistibly talented and productive. He was a player
that always seemed to be playing the game at 75% speed, a trick that deceived
your eyes and made you overlook the fact that his brain was processing things
faster than everyone else.
Joe was never in a hurry, yet he always
seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Like on April 25, 2011, when
inexplicably there he was, alone in front to sweep home a rebound past Jonathan
Quick and send the Kings packing; not to mention launch a thousand 'sliding Joe
Thornton' gifs.
Or how about the fact that he made his living passing
the puck, setting up other people, rather than doing the deed himself. For his
career Thornton recorded a 14% shooting percentage, exactly the same as Pavel
Bure, slightly ahead of Mike Gartner (13.9%) and Jaromir Jagr (13.6%), while
just behind current stars Nikita Kucherov (14.5%) and Sidney Crosby (14.7%).
It's not that he couldn't score, rather he chose not to. While everyone else
was into scoring goals he was into something underground, something old school:
being a playmaker. You probably haven't heard of it. How hipster!
I
could go on and list all the reasons, records, and moments that made Thornton
the embodiment of California Cool: the beard, the laughter, the joy in being
with teammates, and pranking said teammates (shaving cream in the face,
anyone?). But perhaps the most important detail is the way he blossomed when he
arrived in November of 2005. From the lanky youth who just couldn't seem to
figure it out in Boston, to the towering 'Jedidiah' Thornton in San Jose he not
only grew physically but also emotionally and personally. He seemed to thrive
once he had more space, more room to be himself, and once he got away from the
pressure and fishbowl of the Boston media. It allowed him to become a
confident, strong, outgoing leader.
However, no mention of Joe Thornton is complete
without mentioning that the very same traits that made him successful were also
blamed when his Sharks teams failed in the postseason. Rightly or wrongly his
laidback attitude, lack of physicality, reluctance to shoot, and perceived
laziness on the ice were always pointed to as reasons why he never got that
elusive Stanley Cup ring. Still, it all seems a bit too easy, a bit too Don
Cherry-ish. It carries hints of jealousy and envy from critics who don't like
to think that sometimes you can succeed by working smarter rather than harder.
By those who assume that only a certain mentality is the 'right way' to play
the game.
In short, it misses the bigger picture.
Winning the
Stanley Cup is hard and requires amazing luck. Anyone who says otherwise hasn't
been paying attention. There are no rules on location, lifestyle, tactics, body
type, or roster construction that have to be followed in order to ensure
success. Skilled teams have won. Grinding teams have won. Top seeds, bottom
seeds, and everyone in between. And along the way dozens of great teams have
fallen short. It's the cruel nature of sports, and it's why only a few - very
few - players should ever have their career judged by the number of
championships on their resume. Too much of it is luck and hangs on a knife
edge:
* A single different bounce in OT against Edmonton on May 10,
2006.
* 34 more seconds of holding off the Red Wings on May 3, 2007.
* 3 different OT losses to Dallas in 2008.
* A different
bounce in OT on June 1, 2016, against Pittsburgh.
* A healthy Erik
Karlsson against the Blues in 2019.
If any one of these things change,
does that change the narrative? Should it?
All that I know for certain
is that Joe Thornton is not the most important player in San Jose Sharks
franchise history. Nor are any of the other names listed at the start of this
article, because the most important player in franchise history hasn't shown up
yet. That individual will be the one who brings a title and is the first player
wearing teal to hoist the Cup. Everyone else will be part of the foundation,
the bedrock, that will help make that accomplishment possible.
But
until then, we can celebrate those who have had an impact on the franchise. For
15 years Joe Thornton led - and elevated - the Sharks to the elite echelons of
the league. He set records, won trophies, and did it with his own personal
style. He transformed a California NHL outpost into the center of the hockey
world. He made this franchise a destination and he never stopped working to
include new players. From the moment he arrived until his jersey is lifted into
the rafters Thornton lived Sharks, bled Sharks, and loved the city and its
fans.
Players like that are rare. They're what make sports fun and why
we become fans.
Next season, after 1,104 games, we all get a chance to
say a well-deserved 'thank you'.
