As Joe Thornton approaches his 37th birthday, he is showing no signs of slowing down.
Through 79 games this season, the San Jose Sharks center - whose birthday comes in the offseason - has recorded 18 goals and 60 assists, ranking second in the NHL in the latter category. His elite-level performance (and beard) in what should be the late stages of his career raises the question of whether he'll continue on into his 40s in the same vein as Jaromir Jagr.
"I love the game, I love the guys. The fellowship, competing. I love everything hockey has to offer, if my body and mind allows me to play until I’m 44? You can’t predict that," he told Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
In the present, he feels fresh and able to keep rolling, thanks in large part to a change in routine suggested by Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer.
"(DeBoer) convinced me to stay away, get rest. The light turned on … it’s okay not to skate, not to work out. I’m a creature of habit. So I changed my mindset, and it definitely helped. My energy level, I feel so alive, no fatigue."
With 376 goals and 961 assists, Thornton's 1,364 career points are good for 30th on the NHL's all-time scoring list. The 1997 first overall pick and 2006 NHL MVP has won at every international level, but remains in search of a Stanley Cup win.
The Sharks are surprisingly well positioned to challenge this year after missing the playoffs last season, but should it not work out in California, Thornton would no doubt have plenty of suitors as a free agent once his contract runs out in 2017.
Six or seven additional seasons with the pick of the litter could allow him to end his career as a champion at the NHL level and become a surefire Hall of Fame entrant.
