Thornton is married to Tabea Pfendsack, whom he met while playing in Switzerland during the 2004–05 NHL lockout.
Thornton’s on-ice vision, strength on the puck, deft passing ability, and power forward style of play have led to him becoming one of the league’s premier top-line centers. He is widely regarded as one of the best passers of all time and is one of only 13 players in history with 1,000 NHL assists. His nickname “Jumbo Joe” is a nod to his large stature and to Jumbo the elephant, who died in St. Thomas, Ontario, where Thornton was raised. He previously played for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was selected first overall by the Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play seven seasons with the club, three as its captain.
Born on July 2, 1979, Joe Thornton is a Canadian professional ice hockey center for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Thornton grew up playing minor hockey in his hometown of St. Thomas, Ontario, for the St. Thomas Travellers. He played “AA” hockey for the Travelers and in peewee won an Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) championship in 1992–93. Due to the NHL lockout in 2004-05, Joe Thornton went to play for HC Davos in the Swiss National League. He re-signed with the Bruins for a three-year deal.
After his second OHL season, Thornton was selected first overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. He scored his first career NHL goal on December 3, 1997, in a 3–0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Thornton was named to Canada’s national under-20 team for the 1997 World Junior Championships in Switzerland. At 17 years old, he recorded four points in seven games, helping Canada to a gold medal. Two years later, he made his debut with the Canadian men’s team at the 2001 World Championships in Germany.
Thornton is married to Tabea Pfendsack, whom he met while playing in Switzerland during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. The couple has a daughter and a son. Their first child, a daughter named Alya, was born on July 14, 2010, while the son, River, was born on June 6, 2013. Tabea Pfendsack is a Swiss businesswoman and writer of the famous children’s book, “The Very Hairy But Not So Scary Mouse”. They started getting closer once Joe started visiting the bar managed by Tabea frequently. Not to mention, they instantly clicked and started dating. After dating for four whole years, the couple finally tied the knot on June 26, 2009.
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