Shawn Thornton
Encyclopedia
Shawn Thornton is a Canadian
professional
hockey
forward
for the Boston Bruins
of the National Hockey League
. He is known to be an enforcer.
He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs
in 1997
, 190th overall. He won the Stanley Cup
in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks
and again in 2011 with the Boston Bruins
.
On July 1, 2007, he became an unrestricted free agent and signed a three-year, 1.5 million dollar deal with the Boston Bruins
.
With the Bruins, Thornton finally became an NHL regular, and he has become famous for taking on famous enforcers like Georges Laraque
, Donald Brashear
and Riley Cote
. He also has his own video blog on the Bruins website.
Thornton was involved in the first fight in the history of the Winter Classic with Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Daniel Carcillo on January 1, 2010 at Boston's Fenway Park.
During the 2011 Stanley Cup run, Thornton was a healthy scratch for several games as the Bruins chose to play rookie Tyler Seguin
to gain more offense. However, many credit the insertion of Thornton into the line-up during Game 3 of the Finals as a turning point for the series. Thornton's physical play changed the tone of the series and the Bruins went on to win four of the last five games with him in the line-up. On June 15, 2011, Shawn Thornton got to lift the Stanley Cup for the second time in 2011, the first time Bostons won the cup since 1972.
played an exhibition game against the Belfast Giants
in Belfast
, Northern Ireland
, where his mother was born.
Thornton is a cousin of Bill Greer of the Edmonton Rush
, Chris Brunt
of West Bromich Albion and Zack Greer
of the Minnesota Swarm
. He is not related to cousins Joe Thornton
(currently with San Jose
) and Scott Thornton (a former NHL player who retired in 2008).
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. He is known to be an enforcer.
Playing career
Thornton grew up playing minor hockey for his hometown Oshawa Minor Generals of the OMHA's Eastern AAA League. He was drafted in the 9th round (145th overall) by the Peterborough Petes in the 1995 OHL Priority Selection, one year after being originally passed over in the draft as a Midget-aged player.He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in 1997
1997 NHL Entry Draft
The 1997 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 21 June 1997.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
, 190th overall. He won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and again in 2011 with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
On July 1, 2007, he became an unrestricted free agent and signed a three-year, 1.5 million dollar deal with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
With the Bruins, Thornton finally became an NHL regular, and he has become famous for taking on famous enforcers like Georges Laraque
Georges Laraque
Georges Laraque is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward, who last played with the Montreal Canadiens before his contract was bought out in 2010. He is also a host for CFRN and deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada. During his NHL career he played for the Edmonton Oilers,...
, Donald Brashear
Donald Brashear
Donald Brashear is an American-Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who is currently a member of the Rivière-du-Loup CIMT in the Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey . He previously played for five organizations in the National Hockey League . His main role is that of an enforcer. He was...
and Riley Cote
Riley Cote
Riley Cote is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger and is currently an assistant coach with the Adirondack Phantoms of the American Hockey League...
. He also has his own video blog on the Bruins website.
Thornton was involved in the first fight in the history of the Winter Classic with Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Daniel Carcillo on January 1, 2010 at Boston's Fenway Park.
During the 2011 Stanley Cup run, Thornton was a healthy scratch for several games as the Bruins chose to play rookie Tyler Seguin
Tyler Seguin
Tyler Seguin is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . He was a draft pick of the Bruins, selected second overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft...
to gain more offense. However, many credit the insertion of Thornton into the line-up during Game 3 of the Finals as a turning point for the series. Thornton's physical play changed the tone of the series and the Bruins went on to win four of the last five games with him in the line-up. On June 15, 2011, Shawn Thornton got to lift the Stanley Cup for the second time in 2011, the first time Bostons won the cup since 1972.
Personal life
On October 2, 2010, he and the Boston BruinsBoston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
played an exhibition game against the Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, where his mother was born.
Thornton is a cousin of Bill Greer of the Edmonton Rush
Edmonton Rush
The Edmonton Rush is a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League that started playing in the 2006 NLL season.The NLL announced that Edmonton, Alberta, Canada would receive an NLL franchise on May 5, 2005. They play their home games at Rexall Place...
, Chris Brunt
Chris Brunt
Christopher Brunt is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion. He plays as a left winger and more recently an attacking midfield position. He is also the Albion captain....
of West Bromich Albion and Zack Greer
Zack Greer
Zack Greer is a Canadian lacrosse player who plays for the Long Island Lizards in Major League Lacrosse and the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League. Greer attended high school at All Saints Catholic Secondary School in Whitby, and grew up playing box lacrosse...
of the Minnesota Swarm
Minnesota Swarm
Minnesota Swarm is a box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. The team plays on Treasure Island Field at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota....
. He is not related to cousins Joe Thornton
Joe Thornton
Joseph Eric Thornton is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League . 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, five as its Captain. During the...
(currently with San Jose
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
) and Scott Thornton (a former NHL player who retired in 2008).
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1994–95 | Oshawa Kiwanis Midget AAA | OMHA OMHA OMHA may refer to:*Ontario Mental Health Act*Ontario Minor Hockey Association... |
43 | 8 | 19 | 28 | 113 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 1995–96 OHL season The 1995–96 OHL season was the 16th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Peterborough Petes won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Guelph Storm. The Detroit Junior Red Wings become the Detroit Whalers.-Notes:... |
Peterborough Petes Peterborough Petes The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
63 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 192 | 24 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 25 | ||
| 1996–97 1996–97 OHL season The 1996–97 OHL season was the 17th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Seventeen teams each played 66 games. The Oshawa Generals won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Ottawa 67's... |
Peterborough Petes | OHL | 61 | 19 | 10 | 29 | 204 | 11 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 | ||
| 1997–98 1997–98 AHL season The 1997–98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. The AHL shifts teams in their divisions, and the Canadian division reverts to being named Atlantic division. The Northern conference is renamed the Eastern conference, and the Southern conference renamed the Western... |
St. John's Maple Leafs St. John's Maple Leafs The St. John's Maple Leafs were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada at Memorial Stadium from 1991–2001, and at Mile One Stadium from 2001–2005.-History:... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
59 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 225 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 1998–99 AHL season The 1998–99 AHL season was the 63rd season of the American Hockey League. Nineteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Providence Bruins finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
St. John's Maple Leafs | AHL | 78 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 354 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | ||
| 1999–00 | St. John's Maple Leafs | AHL | 60 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 316 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 2000–01 AHL season The 2000–01 AHL season was the 65th season of the American Hockey League. The league realigns its divisions again. The Atlantic division is renamed the Canadian division. The Empire State division is replaced by the South division, with many teams shifting from the Mid-Atlantic division.Twenty... |
St. John's Maple Leafs | AHL | 79 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 320 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 2001–02 AHL season The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion... |
Norfolk Admirals Norfolk Admirals The Norfolk Admirals are a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Admirals play in Norfolk, Virginia, at the Norfolk Scope.-History:... |
AHL | 70 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 281 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 50 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 213 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 28 | ||
| 2002–03 | Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
NHL | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 2003–04 AHL season The 2003–04 AHL season was the 68th season of the American Hockey League. The league introduces the Willie Marshall Award in honour the career points leader in the AHL, and awards it to the annual top goal scorer.... |
Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 64 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 259 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 2004–05 AHL season The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 71 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 263 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||
| 2005–06 2005–06 AHL season The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.... |
Norfolk Admirals | AHL | 59 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 192 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | ||
| 2005–06 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 2006–07 AHL season The 2006–07 AHL season was the 71st season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup, defeating the defending champions, the Hershey Bears in the finals.... |
Portland Pirates Portland Pirates The Portland Pirates is a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. They play in the Cumberland County Civic Center in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the... |
AHL | 15 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 48 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 88 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | ||
| 2007–08 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 58 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 74 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 123 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Boston Bruins | NHL | 74 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 141 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 122 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 24 | ||
| NHL totals | 369 | 25 | 35 | 60 | 618 | 61 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 59 | ||||