Sharks Great Joe Thornton Just Got His Own Day In San Jose

Joe Thornton is one of the biggest characters to have played in the NHL over the last 30 years or so, and the bulk of his time in the league was spent with the San Jose Sharks.

The Sharks will make Thornton the second player in team history to have his number retired (the first was his old running mate Patrick Marleau).

However, the Sharks and the City of San Jose decided that it wouldn't be enough to simply raise Thornton's No. 19 to the rafters on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres.

Nope. They decided to make November 23, 2024 "Joe Thornton Day" in San Jose.

The proclamation came at city hall and the Mayor of San Jose rattled off a list of words that Thornton's teammates had used to describe him.

There were words like "icon," "legendary," and someone even said "beard," a reference to the gigantic one that Jumbo Joe used to have in the later years of his career.

But the man of the hour (day?) had an idea of his own.

"I probably would have used the word, sexy, mayor," Thornton joked

"Joe Thornton Day in San Jose. It sounds pretty good, eh?" he said after taking the podium.

Thornton thanked the fans and talked about how important the Sharks are to the city. He also talked about how the franchise is back on the right track these days, alluding to some rough seasons over the last few years.

Thornton was drafted by and started his career with the Boston Bruins, but was traded to the Sharks in 2005.

He went on to play 15 seasons for the Sharks before signing a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020. After one season in Toronto, Thornton played one final season with the Florida Panthers.