[ad_1]
SAN JOSE – Joe Thornton was in a good mood on Friday morning when he met local media, smiling while he insisted his scrum be brief and conciliatory so that he could get ready to go see Metallica at the new Chase Center.
But the 40-year-old, who has agreed to a one-year contract to return to the Sharks on Friday, is also a little happier, because for the first time in two seasons, he is ready to enter the camp in good health. d & # 39; drive. .
"It feels good," said Thornton without hesitation. "I've had two summers in a row with a rehab, so this summer has been really nice."
Injuries hurt play time at number 19 in the 2016 Stanley Cup final of the Sharks. Thornton saw his 2017-18 campaign cut short after suffering a knee injury requiring surgery. After entering the training camp the following fall with the intention of returning to full-time ice, Thornton missed nine of the first 11 games due to surgically repaired knee complications last season .
For the first time in a long time, Thornton's summer training program did not require her to deal with injuries.
"In the past two summers, I had to go to rehab every day and I really could not focus on what I had to do," said Thornton. "Really, I was not skating before because my knee just was not ready.This summer, I've been skating for about a month and a half now, to get stronger, my body feels really good."
Needless to say, the start of the off-season without a serious injury was a boost for the gifted Hall of Famer – a decision that made it much easier to make a new season.
"Shortly after the end of the season, I started going back to the gym and feeling good," Thornton said, adding that he had taken a little rest before starting to skate early again August while he and his family were in Switzerland. . "It's not very long after the end of the season, I decided to continue."
Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson emphasized the importance of Thornton's health as the season approaches.
"When you look back and realize that it's the first summer, after three years without rehabilitation, it's really amazing," Wilson wondered.
The craze for Thornton's commitment to continue playing is contagious, explained Wilson, and Thornton has a big impact on young players in the locker room.
"It's funny to see all the young kids come in and watch Joe Thornton at the gym," Wilson said with a smile. "(That) just creates a lot of energy and excitement around this group."
It is also exciting to anticipate Thornton's continued progress in NHL records. Although he missed the nine games at the start of last season, Thornton still managed to overtake a handful of the Hall of Fame of the game, finishing the regular season in eighth place on the all-time assists list. time (1,065) and in 14th place in the list of points of all time. (1,478). He finished his 73-game campaign, placing seventh among the Sharks in the assists (35), eighth in points (51) and tied for fourth with four winning goals.
[[[[RELATED: Thornton excited to return to sharks]
It remains to be seen if Thornton will be able to play a complete season of 82 matches. At the very least, he is ready to start the season in better health than it has been in recent years.
[ad_2]
Source link