Auston Matthews pays tribute to Joe Thornton following jersey retirement
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has always been a student of the sport of hockey and he looks up to many players, including Joe Thornton.
Thornton is an absolute legend who started his career with the Boston Bruins before going to the San Jose Sharks via trade.
Overall, his career in San Jose was a legendary one that fans remember quite fondly.
He got them to a Stanley Cup final and while they never won it all, Thornton remained one of the most beloved players on the team.
Last night, the Sharks decided it was the time to finally honor Thornton for all that he did with the franchise.
His jersey was retired to the rafters, and now, the number 19 can never be used again by a Sharks player.
As for Auston Matthews, he paid tribute to Thornton on his Instagram story.
Auston Matthews pays respect to Jumbo Joe
When all is said and done, Matthews will likely have his jersey retired by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Even if he does not win a Stanley Cup with the team, his talent and production has certainly been enough for him to get there.
Based on his scoring pace, there is a real argument to be made that he may someday end up with the all-time scoring record.
However, he has been injured as of late, so that has certainly taken away from his ability to chip away at his goal totals.
Whatever the case may be, we are very happy to see Joe Thornton getting recognized in this way. He is a phenomenal talent who deserves all of the good things.
Only time will tell what other accolades he will receive over the coming years.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 24 | 123 ANSWERS Auston Matthews pays tribute to Joe Thornton following jersey retirement Do you believe Joe Thornton is one of the greatest NHL Players ever? | ||
| YES | 66 | 53.7 % |
| NO | 57 | 46.3 % |
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