SUNRISE, Fla. – Joe ThorntonYour career may be over. Or not.
Veteran midfielder who just finished his 24th season in the NHL and first with Florida Pantherssaid Wednesday that he has yet to decide whether to retire or continue playing.
“My wife asked me last night,” Thornton said. “And really, I don’t have a plan. It’s exciting. I came here to win the championship, and we fell short of that. But I think the Florida Panthers are going to be good for a long time.” It’s fun here now.”
The question is whether Thornton will join that excitement in the future.
Thornton, who turns 43 on July 2, is the second oldest skater to appear in a game this season; New York Islanders Defender player Zdeno Chara Turns 45 in March and like Thornton just finished his 24th season in the league.
They are two of four players in their 40s participating in games this season. Buffalo Sabers Goalie Craig Anderson was a dreaded month turning 41 when he made his final appearance of the season, and Edmonton Oilers Goalie Mike Smith turns 40 in March.
“I’ve been privileged to play this game for a long time,” Thornton said. “I don’t take that for granted.”
Long time San Jose Sharks partner Patrick Marleau announced his retirement this month after playing 23 seasons in the NHL. Marleau broke Gordie Howe’s play record and retired after playing 1,779 games in the regular season of his career.
Thornton played 1,714 games – the sixth most in regular season history – with San Jose, Boston, Toronto and Florida. He recently joked that he would let Marleau keep his place in the history books.
Thornton has appeared in 34 games with the Panthers this season, scoring five goals and adding five assists.
“Everybody loves being around him,” said Anton Lundell forward of the Panthers. “He’s a funny guy and loves to work. You see how much he cares about sports, how much he enjoys playing and most importantly how much he enjoys being around the boys. don’t really enjoy taking any days off.”
In perspective, Lundell was born on October 3, 2001. A day later, Thornton began his fifth NHL season.
Thornton picked the Panthers last summer because he felt going to Florida was his best hope to finally win his first Stanley Cup championship. The Panthers won the Presidents Cup, setting a team record for goals, wins and points, and won a series of playoffs for the first time since 1996 but were knocked out of the second round by Tampa Bay Lightning.
Panthers interim coach Andrew Brunette, who played 16 NHL seasons before turning his attention to coaching, said: “Wish I could play with him. “But I had to coach him, and it was a great experience.”
Thornton only played in one playoff against the Panthers, which was the series finale against Lightning. He said he didn’t go through the traditional handshakes towards the end of that game thinking it might be the final moments of his life as an active player.
“I never thought what-if, to be honest with you,” Thornton said. “I’m just trying to live in the moment and go from there.”
But the Panthers will head into next season believing they are rivals again, and if he decides to go for a 25th installment, that could certainly appeal to Thornton.
“I think Joe Thornton’s world,” said Panthers general manager Bill Zito.
Thornton is 12th in regular season history with 1,539 points. Most of the top 33 goalscorers in NHL history have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame; the only ones who didn’t join were Thornton, Jaromir Jagra, Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosbyand that’s because none of those four players haven’t qualified yet.
