Former NHL MVP Retires

Saturday afternoon saw an NHL legend officially hang up the skates on his playing career.

«Jumbo» Joe Thornton announced his retirement from professional hockey after a career spanning 1714 games over 24 years.

Thornton was the first-overall selection in the 1997 NHL draft by the Boston Bruins, where he would play 532 games, tallying 454 points.

A blockbuster trade would send the star centerman to the San Jose Sharks where he would be an integral part of numerous deep playoff runs, though never amounting to a Stanley Cup championship.



Joe Thornton will go down as one of the best playmakers the NHL has ever seen, with 1109 assists to his resume.

After the 2019-20 season, Thornton would depart from San Jose after 15 years to join the Toronto Maple Leafs.

One season was all Thornton saw in a Maple Leafs sweater, and signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers in the 2021-22 season, scoring 10 points in 34 games.

The 2022-23 season saw Thornton not sign with any team, and he now officially retires at the age of 44.