San Jose Sharks retire Joe Thornton’s No. 19

One of the best to ever play the game was honored by the team he spent well over a decade with.

On Saturday night, the San Jose Sharks officially retired Joe Thornton’s No. 19.

In a ceremony held before the team’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, former teammates and friends came out to honor Thornton.

“San Jose, give me that love,” Thornton exclaimed when he took the podium.

Thornton is the second player in franchise history to have his sweater lifted to the rafters. His longtime teammate, Patrick Marleau, was the first to be granted the honor when his No. 12 was retired in Feb. 2023.

“To see Jumbo’s banner next to mine up there,” Marleau said in a video tribute. “It just makes me happy.”

“It was truly an honor to be your teammate, friend and roommate,” Thornton said. “I’m absolutely humbled to have my number up there next to yours.”

Thornton wasn’t afraid to throw some jabs and have some when speaking to the crowd at SAP Center. He revealed that first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini is being billeted by his family.

“Thanks for helping out with grade-six math,” Thornton joked. “It’s not one of my strong suits.”

Thornton was also sure to thank his family for their love and support throughout his career.

While the St. Thomas, Ontario native also spent time with the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, Thornton is most known for his time with the Sharks. Of his 24 seasons in the NHL, 15 of them were spent in San Jose, where he had the most success.

In 2005-06, the same year he was traded to the Sharks by the Bruins, Thornton won the Hart Trophy and was awarded the Art Ross when he led the league with 125 points. He ended up playing 1,104 games with the Sharks, ranked third in team history, only trailing Marleau and Marc-Edoard Vlasic. He is the all-time franchise leader in assists (804), second in points (1,055) and fourth in goals (251).

Thornton was also the captain in San Jose for four seasons, holding the role from 2010 to 2014. His efforts helped lead the Sharks to the organization’s first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2016.

In total, Thornton played 1,714 games in the NHL, ranked sixth all-time. His 1,109 assists place him seventh in league history. The Soo Greyhound legend scored 430 goals and 1,539 points over his time, including 134 points in 187 Stanley Cup Playoff appearances. He was named to the All-Star team four times, three times representing the Sharks.

Internationally, Thornton has plenty of hardware. Along with winning gold at the 1997 IIHF World Junior Championship with Team Canada, he also won gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He was part of the Canadian team that won the 2005 and 2017 World Cups of Hockey and won the Spengler Cup with HC Davos during the 2004-05 lockout.