Joe Thornton Officially Announces Retirement In His Own Inimitable Style

I think we all kind of knew this was the case, but now it's officially official: NHL great Joe Thornton has retired.

While it wasn't the most extravagant retirement announcement ever, it was perfectly on-brand for the man they call Jumbo.

On Saturday, the San Jose Sharks — the team with whom Thornton spent 15 NHL seasons — shared a video message from their old captain (even if it was taken away unceremoniously, but that's another story).

"Hey, judging how many people keep asking me, I guess I have to tell you. I'm officially retiring from the NHL," Thornton said standing outside without a tarp and with a very nice hat that most of us couldn't pull off.

"I thought you guys would have figured it out sooner, but you kept asking. So, here I am retiring."

Yes, we should've known Jumbo had hung 'em up after he skipped the entire 2022-23 season. At age 44, it seemed unlikely he'd make an NHL return at this point, but, then again, Jaromir Jagr is still tearing it up in Kladno while knocking on the door of the big 5-0.

Now that Thornton is officially finished, it's just a matter of time before he's enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 4-time All-Star won the Art Ross and Hart Trophies during the 2005-06 season. That year, he posted a stat line of 29 goals and a league-leading 96 assists and 123 points.

Thornton played a jaw-dropping 1,714 games over 24 NHL seasons with the Bruins, Sharks, Maple Leafs, and Panthers.

I love that this is how Thornton went out. That's his style. He doesn't seem like he'd want to hold a Mike Schmidt-style press conference where he starts crying about his knees.

Nope. He did it his way.

"I have so much love for the game of hockey and for the countless number of people that helped this kid's dream become a reality," he said. "And if you're looking for me, you know where to find me. I'll be at the rink. Peace and love."

Congratulations on one hell of a career, Jumbo.

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