Happy Joe Thornton Day!

Today, November 30, 2007, marks the two-year anniversary of the Joe Thornton trade from Boston to San Jose. Let’s remember that day, shall we?

Sharks send: Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau, and Brad Stuart
Bruins send: Joe Thornton

Both the Sharks and Bruins were struggling that season. The Bruins went 1-8-1 in their last ten games, while the Sharks earned no wins with a streak of 0-7-3.

What they said:

We gave away three quality guys for a dominant centerman," said defenseman Kyle McLaren, a former teammate of Thornton's in Boston. "It's a big move for us. And Joe's the type of player that can help our team right now.

Added Sharks captain Patrick Marleau: "There's not one team out there that wouldn't want to have him on their team.

"Once you get over the shock of losing three of our friends, I think we're going to really come to enjoy watching Joe Thornton play every night," said [Ron] Wilson.

It was emotional," Thornton said, a day after he was part of a four-player trade that landed him with the Sharks. "But as the night went on, I kind of calmed down. Now, I'm excited to start something new.

Of the traded Sharks trio, only Sturm is still on the Bruins. Primeau and Stuart are on the Flames and the Kings, respectively. Today, the Bruins are 3rd in their division, 6th in the Eastern Conference, and the Sharks are 2nd and 7th. Despite the seeming divisional balance, Thornton’s continued performances as a franchise cornerstone reaffirms the fact that the Sharks pulled off one of the greatest heists in NHL history.

Tonight against the Avalanche, Thornton dazzled once again, netting two goals and handing out an assist to lead the Sharks to a 3-2 victory.

This is home for me," Thornton said. "This is where I want to be for the rest of my career, so it's been a good two years, and many more to come.

More hardware to come!
This, among other reasons, is why every night I say thank you to the heavens for gracing the Sharks with Joe Thornton.