A biography for Joe Thorntonhasn’t been written yet.
“Whenever you put on the Canadian jersey, it's an honor and it would be a huge honor to represent us at the Olympics.”
“Well, I hate needles and stitches. I'm the biggest wimp when it comes to that stuff. Can't stand it. That little needle is the worst feeling for me. I hate it.”
“I love San Jose.”
“I don't think there's any less on the line in the Olympics than there is any other time.”
“I always take a shower before I play just to kind of wake up. Then I stretch.”
“Growing up, I wanted to play with the bigger kids, so having two brothers, you had to stick your nose in there and try your best; you get the worst of everything, though.”
“I've been lucky to play with so many great players, to be coached by so many great coaches and lucky enough to be healthy enough for so many years.”
“Really, who thinks of living in California as a Canadian kid? You just don't. Now when I go home to Canada to play a game, I am like, 'This weather here sucks.' I used to love it as a kid, but now it's like, 'Wow let's get back to California now.'”
“I'm a quick healer.”
“Hockey is definitely a huge sport in Boston.”
“In a day when you can kind of choose where you can play, Northern California is the place for me.”
“Me, I like to pass.”
“As I get older, I think I'm going to continue to be a better player and a better captain.”
“Nothing is won on your first shift and nothing is lost on your first shift, so it's about keeping things in perspective.”
“I have a big frame to fend off some defenders and buy some time as I wait for guys to get open.”
“As a line I think you've always got to constantly talk. You talk about playing for each other.”
“The wife is the best cook, so I've been leaving the cooking to her.”
“I remember being one of the younger guys and one of the older guys would say, 'Hey, boys, you got to enjoy the moment, enjoy the ups and downs, because it goes by real fast.' You never really register that. You're just in the moment.”
“I hate slow drivers and slow golfers.”
“I feel the sky is the limit for myself.”