Just weeks after St. Thomas' Joe Thornton Community Centre hosted an official National Hockey League (NHL) game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres the man himself has retired from the game.
Thornton, also known as Jumbo Joe, posted the video announcing his retirement on the San Jose Sharks' X page Saturday evening.
The 44-year-old spent 15 seasons of his hockey career with the Sharks.
He was drafted first overall by the Boston Bruins in 1997 and played there for seven seasons, three as the captain, before he was traded to the Sharks.
Despite splitting 2005-2006 between Boston and San Jose he received both the Art Ross and Hart Trophies that season, becoming the only player in NHL history to win either award in a season played for multiple teams.
In October 2020, Thornton signed a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
His final contract in the NHL, marking his 24th season, was a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers.
Thornton also made his mark in international play.
He won a gold medal playing for Canada in the World Junior Championships in 1997.
He's a two-time Olympian, winning gold in 2010, and he was part of the 2005 World Championship team that took home silver.
Thornton also earned two gold medals in the World Cup of Hockey, the first in 2004 and the second in 2016.
The only thing Thornton didn't achieve in his career was winning a Stanley Cup.
He retires having played an astonishing 1,714 games, having scored 430 goals, having earned 1,539 points, and having left an indelible mark on the game of hockey.
