Joe Thornton was named player development coach and hockey operations adviser for the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.
Thornton, who played 24 NHL seasons, had 1,539 points (430 goals, 1,109 assists) in 1,714 games with the Boston Bruins, Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. He is one of 16 players to have at least 1,500 points and is sixth in regular-season games played.
He had 134 points (32 goals, 102 assists) in 187 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
The 46-year-old former forward spent 15 seasons with the Sharks from 2005-2020 and ranks first in assists (804), second in points (1,055), third in games (1,104) and fourth in goals (251) in team history. He had his number retired by the Sharks on Nov. 23, 2024, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2025 last month.
In 2005-06, he won the Hart Trophy voted as the League's most valuable player and the Art Ross Trophy as its leading scorer with 125 points (29 goals, 96 assists). With Canada, he won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the World Cup of Hockey in 2004 and 2016, and the 1997 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Thornton was one of several former Sharks players on hand at their development camp two weeks ago, where he got to coach and give advice to some of their top prospects, including forward Michael Misa, the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
