Joe Thornton

Joseph Eric Thornton (born July 2, 1979) is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the San Jose Sharks. He was selected first overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play seven seasons with the club, three as its captain. During the 2005–06 season, he was traded to the Sharks. Splitting the campaign between the two teams, he received the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophies as the league's leading point-scorer and most valuable player, respectively.[1] Thornton's on-ice vision, strength on the puck, deft passing ability and power forward style of play have led to him becoming one of the league's premier top line centres.[2] He is widely regarded as one of the best passers of all-time, and is one of only 13 players in history with 1,000 NHL assists.[3] Listed at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he received the nickname "Jumbo Joe" or "Jumbo" due to his size and Jumbo the elephant who was killed in 1885 in St. Thomas, Ontario, where Thornton was raised.[4][5]