SHARKS CENTER JOE THORNTON RECORDS HIS 1000TH NHL ASSIST

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By mark6mauno [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Six-Time NHL All-Star Becomes Only the 13th Player in NHL History to Reach the Milestone

SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton collected his 1000th career NHL assist on March 6th, becoming only the 13th player in NHL history to reach the milestone.  The historic helper was recorded on a goal by Joe Pavelski against the Winnipeg Jets at the MTS Centre.  The goal was also assisted by Marc-Edouard Vlasic.  This milestone came in Thornton’s 900th game as a member of the San Jose Sharks.   

With this achievement, he joins NHL legends Wayne Gretzky (1963), Ron Francis (1249), Mark Messier (1193), Jaromir Jagr (1142), Paul Coffey (1135), Adam Oates (1079), Steve Yzerman (1063), Gordie Howe (1049), Marcel Dionne (1040), Mario Lemieux (1033), and Joe Sakic (1016) in the 1000-assist club – all of whom (with the exception of the active Jagr) are members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.  Of these 13 players, Thornton reached this milestone in the sixth fewest games (1432).  

Amongst all NHL players since Thornton entered the NHL for the 1997-98 season, he ranks first in both assists (1000) and points (1382).  He holds the assists and points leads by 225 and 112 respectively (Jagr is second in both categories).  Amongst active NHL players, Thornton ranks second only to Jagr in career NHL points (1382) and assists (1000). 

Acquired by San Jose from Boston on Nov. 30, 2005, Thornton has 715 assists and 928 points in 900 games with the Sharks. During that span, no NHL player has more assists than Thornton (715) and his 928 points with San Jose ranks third amongst all NHL players since the trade.   

On the Sharks franchise list, Thornton ranks near the top in most statistical categories.  He is first in assists (715), points per game (1.03) and plus-minus (plus-181). He ranks second in points (928) and games played (900), and third in goals (213).   

In 2006-2007, Thornton became only the third player in NHL history to have back-to-back 90-plus assist seasons (96 in 2005-06, 92 in 2006-07), joining only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. 

Thornton led the NHL in assists in 2005-06 (96), 2006-07 (92), and 2007-08 (67).  He became just the fourth player in NHL history to lead the League in assists for three consecutive seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Stan Makita (Henrik Sedin has since joined this list in 2011-12).   

Thornton was named the winner of both the Art Ross Trophy and Hart Memorial Trophy in 2006, the season he was acquired by San Jose.  He been selected to six NHL All-Star Games (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009), and was named an NHL First All-Star Team in 2006, and an NHL Second All-Star Team in 2003, 2008 and 2016. 

Internationally, Thornton has represented his native Canada on numerous occasions, including winning gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics (also selected in 2006), the 2004 and 2016 World Cup of Hockey, and the 1997 World Junior Championships. 

This season, Thornton has posted 36 assists and 5 goals in 65 games.   

JOE THORNTON’S MILESTONE GAMES

Game #1                                   Oct. 8, 1997                     Boston at Phoenix

Game #1,000                             Oct. 21, 2011                   San Jose at New Jersey

Game #1,400                             Dec. 20, 2016                  San Jose vs. Calgary

First NHL Goal                          Dec. 3, 1997                    Boston at Philadelphia (G. Snow)

First NHL Assist                        Jan. 25, 1998                   Boston at Washington

1,000th Career Point                   April 8, 2011                     San Jose at Phoenix

1,300th Career Point                   Jan. 26, 2016                   San Jose vs. Colorado

500th Career Assist                    Feb. 17, 2008                   San Jose at NY Rangers

600th Career Assist                    Nov. 20, 2009                   San Jose vs. Philadelphia

700th Career Assist                     Oct. 25, 2011                   San Jose at Nashville

800th Career Assist                     Nov. 2. 2013                    San Jose vs. Phoenix

900th Career Assist                     March 19, 2015                San Jose at Toronto

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