Joe Thornton is a famous Canadian hockey player who plays in the National Hockey League. Today is a San Jose Sharks player. He is famous for his stunning vision of the site, accurate layout and power style of the game. Over his professional career he won many awards. He became the 2nd most successful in the NHL. In 2010, he won the gold of the Olympics, speaking in the national team of Canada.
Biography
Joe Thornton, whose statistics allowed him to get into the twenty most successful NHL players, was born on July 2, 1979 in Ontario. He attended a local school, and then studied at the Elgin Institute. Canada is known for talented hockey players, so the boy did not have to choose a sport. From early childhood, Joe Thornton became interested in a popular game. At first he performed at St. Thomas Trevelers, gaining experience in every match. Later there were other clubs that fashioned a world star from Joseph.
Professional career
In 1997 he got to the draft, where he received the first number. Soon the media reported that the composition of the “Boston Bruins” replenished young Joe Thornton. NHL opened up new opportunities for the player. It was more difficult to play here than at home. The first season was difficult. Joe Thornton for a long time could not gain a foothold in the composition, showing rather nondescript results. In the debut season he appeared in 55 games, but scored only 7 points.
The next season the hockey player turned out more even. Joe often went out on the ice and scored forty-one points. Already then he showed his ability to passer, giving 25 assists.
It took the next three years to unlock all the skills and abilities. The player managed to score 70 points per season, appearing only in half of the games. He was no longer just a NHL rookie, but a fairly recognizable professional. In the 2002/03 season, he received the position of captain of the club. The year was particularly successful for the Boston Bruins thanks to the efforts of leaders. Joe scored 36 goals and gave 65 assists, which allowed him to take third place among the best players in the league. In the playoffs of the team, unfortunately, everything was not so cloudless. “Boston Bruins” flew out of the race after the first round.
The next season, the player spent more restrained. He scored an acceptable number of points, and also helped the club take second place in the league. In the playoffs again no luck - the team did not overcome the first round.
In 2005, Joe Thornton expressed his management dissatisfaction with wages. Many NHL teams sent their offers on the striker, but he soon extended the contract for three years with the Bruins. Therefore, for many it was a surprise player exchange in the “San Jose Sharks,” which happened in the fall. At that moment, “Boston Bruins” lost one of the best hockey players, whose game delighted every fan.
HC Davos
In 2004, the NHL experienced a lockout that lasted more than 300 days. Games were not held due to the lack of agreement between the leadership of the league and the union of players. After him, a salary ceiling appeared, and some rules for holding matches were changed. Joe Thornton played in Switzerland during this period, where he helped the HC Davos team win the championship.
Sharks
Joe was able to seriously strengthen the attack, “San Jose”. Already in the first season, the hockey player became the best in assists. I managed to quickly play with teammates, which allowed me to play sharp combinations. In 2006, became the owner of the "Hart Trophy" and "Art Ross Trophy."
In 2007, he signed a new agreement with Sharks, designed for three years. Each season, the striker completed among the best players in the league. Thanks to hard work, he got the opportunity to play in the match of all NHL stars. In the playoffs the club was unlucky - for three consecutive years he did not go further than the second round. In October 2011, Joe became captain of the Sharks, succeeding Rob Blake. He soon extended the contract for 21 million dollars.
Today, Thornton is 37 years old, but he still remains one of the best hockey players in the NHL. In 2014, he signed a new agreement with Sharks, designed for a period up to 2017.