Joe Thornton did what he does best Saturday: Pass the puck.
The San Jose Sharks center recorded two assists in his team's 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild, and the second was historic in nature.
.@SanJoseSharks’ Joe Thornton (0-2—2) reached 930 career assists and leapfrogged Larry Murphy (929) for 16th on the NHL’s all-time list.
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 24, 2016
Thornton's only four assists behind Al MacInnis for 15th all time, with Mark Recchi (956) and Doug Gilmour (964) in sight.
Now 36, Thornton is one of his generation's best playmakers and passers. He's averaged an impressive 0.70 assists per game throughout his career, and went into Saturday's game averaging 0.60. He's slowing down with age, sure - his 0.80 points per game represent his lowest mark since his third season in the league, as a 20-year-old - but his 29 assists in 46 games lead the Sharks.
The more things change, in other words, the more they stay the same.
Signed through 2016-17, Thornton should hit the 1,000-assist mark next season, becoming only the 13th player in history to do so.
A spot in the Hall of Fame likely awaits the Canadian when he's done playing the game, and he has his passing abilities to thank.
