So Long, Shawn Thornton, Thanks For Being A Model Boston Bruin
The members of the 2010-11 Boston Bruins will never have to pay for a drink in this town again thanks to their incredible Stanley Cup run which led to the team’s first title in 39 long years. They’ll always hold a place in every Bruins fan’s heart whether they finish their career in Black and Gold or move onto new career challenges (hey, Andy Ference).
But sadly for fans and teammates, another of those players fell into the latter category. After seven eventful, pugilistic seasons in his adopted hometown, it’s time to bid adieu to perhaps the most popular player from that Cup-winning squad, much-beloved team enforcer Shawn Thornton. Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli announced yesterday that he informed Thornton that the team will not be bringing him back for an eighth season on Causeway Street.
Chiarelli signed the affable Thornton, who was coming off a Stanley Cup win with the Anaheim Ducks, to help re-establish what it means to be a Boston Bruin and provide a winning culture in the room. In a town that’s had a long love affair with guys who fight in the name of Boston and for the Bruins hockey club, “Thorty” became an instant fan favorite due to his willingness to take on any and all comers. He stuck up for his teammates on the ice and busted their balls off of it, serving as the room’s de facto Richard Pryor with his combination of humor and colorful vocabulary. And he helped countless charitable causes in his time year as well as establishing the Shawn Thornton Foundation, which helps the causes of finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease and cancer.
The move, or non-move actually, is hardly a surprise. Thornton will be 37 in a month and while he keeps himself in fantastic shape, Father Time catches up with every single one of us. This was evident in the playoffs against the younger and much speedier Canadiens as the dominant fourth line of the 2011 Cup run looked older and a step behind in 2014. Claude wasn’t giving him much ice time as the playoffs wore on, essentially burning a line-up spot to use a guy for two minutes rather than perhaps utilizing an offensively-gifted minor-leaguer in a series where goals were at a premium and just one could’ve made a huge difference.
The role of Thornton and men of his ilk is slowly but most assuredly dwindling in the NHL. While fighting remains and isn’t going anywhere (despite the incessant whining from half of the North American hockey media), the amount of fights just isn’t what it used to be and it’s becoming increasingly tougher for teams to justify keeping a guy on the roster if that’s his only real strength. And no, I don’t include Thornton as a guy who was only good for fighting because he did much more than just that; his line often changed the game’s tempo thanks to their forechecking, he was hardly a stiff with the puck and actually had some game with a career-best 10-10—20 in ’11, and he was a bottomless well of leadership and experience for when the shit hit the fan.
But the bottom line is that Bruins are looking to get younger, faster, and better offensively on their fourth line. And because the team has several other guys who can capably drop their gloves to defend a teammate, I can’t imagine they bring in another enforcer to replace Thornton because if they want a guy for that role, they could’ve simply re-signed #22 for short money.
In addition to being a well-respected teammate and player throughout the league, the proudly Irish Thornton is also very well-liked and appreciated by his Charlestown neighbors for being a regular guy who prides himself on putting roots down smack dab in the middle in Boston’s oldest Irish stronghold, just off the apex of Bunker Hill. He’s already stated that this will be home for him after his playing days are over. So while he’ll sign elsewhere for the 2014-15 season, looking to join Mark Recchi in winning three Cups with three different teams, he’ll still never actually leave Boston. Which is wholly appropriate because Boston will never leave Shawn Thornton.
On behalf of Bruins fans everywhere, thanks for coming here, Shawn. You were essential in dialing back the clock to make 29 other teams fear the Boston Bruins again. You were an ideal teammate. You helped bring the Cup back to Boston after a four decade drought. You were a stand-up guy who always answered the bell, whether it was Krys Barch looking for his semi-annual beating or a yet another head-shaking statement-posing-as-a-question from one of the local media dopes. You were a regular guy who’d sit at the bar for a few Carlsbergs while shooting the shit with whoever chatted you up. You came to Boston with just 79 NHL games under your belt at 30 years old. But you’re leaving with another 480 games played, 34 goals, another Stanley Cup, and a new label—-proud Bostonian (and proud Townie). You’ll be missed, my friend. Thank you for giving your all, all the time while wearing the spoked-B. You did the team proud and did yourself proud. Best of luck in your next career stop. I’m looking forward to the standing ovation in your first game back.
Just one bud for your bowl today…
*The first time I met Shawn was long before I became a credentialed media member. I was out watching the NFL playoffs on a Sunday in January of 2008. After a long day of drinking, I looked up to see the Bruins’ newest tough guy come strolling into one of his C’town haunts, the Ironside Grille (aka The Spud), lugging the Stanley friggin’ Cup (he had commandeered it after its appearance at the Wives’ Carnival). It was the last thing I expected to see when I left my house that day. Naturally, I went right towards him and started going all Comic Con about the Cup. Recognizing that I was a real fan (perhaps it was the Bs shirt), Thornton forcefully stuck his index finger into my chest and declared, “You’re in charge. Make sure nobody picks it up”, before placing the Cup in the middle of the table, turning heel, and heading towards the bar. Um, really? You want me to babysit the Stanley Cup? Yeah, I think I can manage that. After calling my old man to let him know that his kid was minding the most famous trophy in sports, I sat there for the next two hours going over every player/team name, searching for the fabled mistakes, and answering the questions of people who mistakenly believed that I was the Cup handler because I was with it for so long. Needless to say, it was heaven for a hockey nut like me. A dream come true and it was all thanks to #22. As Thornton and his crew got ready to leave and head to (new) Sully’s for their unexpected mini-bar crawl with the Stanley Cup, I remarked that hopefully next time he’s parading the Cup around town, it’s as a Bruin. “When we win it here, I promise I’ll bring it back down”. Just over three years later, Thornton kept his promise.
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