“We’re so proud of him, of all our kids,” Wayne said.

So much so that Wayne and Mary themselves became somewhat of legends in the hockey world as they drove all over North America to watch Joe’s games. Instead of flying and staying in hotels, they piled into the van and shuttled between cities, sleeping in the back as part of their adventures.

“I remember someone involved with the Bruins once found out that I had been staying in the van in the TD Garden parking lot,” Wayne recalled. “He immediately said, ‘You can come stay with me’.”

The person who extended the invitation? None other than the legendary Orr.

“I politely said ‘thanks, but no,’” Wayne said with a chuckle. “We enjoyed what we did, the experience, the adventure.”

Imagine that. A Thornton who embraces life’s adventures?

Like father, like son.

# # #

According to DeBoer, Thornton’s stories and adventures are legendary.

And that also applies to his lasting impact on the hockey world, past and present.

“I couldn’t be happier for him and his family and the recognition he’s getting,” DeBoer said. “You will never meet a better teammate or person. He’s one of my favorite people.

“But it’s more than that. We need nice characters in our game. In my opinion, our sport lacks that. And it’s hard to find a bigger personality than Jumbo.”

DeBoer would know. After all, he first crossed paths with Thornton almost thirty years ago and found out firsthand.

“I remember coaching Joe and Patrick Marleau for Canada in the 1995-1996 U-18 tournament,” he recalls. “We had a bad day and the team went canoeing on a local lake. The next day we got a call that the canoe Joe was using was completely mangled. Who knows how it happened?”

DeBoer laughed.

“That’s Joe,” he said. “Never boring. I mean, like, I’ve never met anyone who loved nudity more than him.”

Excuse me?

“Here’s an example,” DeBoer said. “I remember him and Brent Burns walking through Pittsburgh shirtless during the Stanley Cup Final in 2016 like nothing in the world bothered them. And look at all the interviews he did shirtless.”

These days, Nylander often goes shirtless when meeting the media. The Maple Leafs forward admitted this week that it’s a habit he picked up from Thornton.

“Of course,” Thornton joked about Nylander’s confession. “Why wouldn’t he if you’re just as sexy as I am?”

Thornton, Nylander, Matthews, defenseman Rasmus Sandin and Mac Hollowell all lived together in a house for several weeks when they first returned to Canada ahead of the 2021 season, which was set to begin on January 16. Due to travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 crisis During the October 19 pandemic, the League was temporarily realigned, creating a Canadian division. Thornton had signed with Toronto as an unrestricted free agent on October 16, 2020.

“He was just enjoying life,” Nylander said. “He might have been around forty, but he was just a kid then.

“It was just non-stop playing games. The house had an ice skating rink, a basketball court and a badminton court. There was so much to do. And we have never sat still. We would sit down and he would go. ‘Let’s do this, let’s do that’.”

On one occasion, Matthews said Thornton was in the house with his skates taped up, causing them to break.

“What can I say?” Thornton said when reminded of the incident. “I love hockey. You know that.”

Rick Nash certainly does that.

During the 2004-05 lockout, Nash, now director of player development for the Columbus Blue Jackets, went to Switzerland to play for Davos of the Swiss League. There he became teammates and friends with Thornton.

“I was playing for Columbus at the time and went there for the work stoppage,” Nash said. “I didn’t know Jumbo that well before that. We had an apartment. He lived with his brothers. We would have dinner, go skiing, chat in the gondola on the way up the mountain. It was one of the best times of my life.

“Joe and his brothers were very competitive. We always played a board game called RISK. It’s a game where you try to take over the world. There were all these plastic pieces and Joe would always come through Australia as part of his strategy. One night we were in the middle of a game and had to go to dinner. So we folded it up and stuffed it all into the Skoda. The problem was that it was a stick shift and Joe wasn’t used to it. It was a choppy ride. When we arrived at the restaurant he claimed that some game pieces had been moved during the ride. It became a full-grown controversy.

“Such a beautiful memory. Such a wonderful person. So glad he is being honored. He so deserves it.

“I’ll say this often. There is only one Jumbo.”

To that end, when Thornton announced his retirement last year, it was via a video of him wearing a sun hat and no shirt.

Of course he was. Why would you expect anything different?

# # #

So, what next for Joe Thornton?

Becher says the door is always open for him to join the Sharks organization. So far, Thornton said he has no plans to do so.

“I help coach the U12 hockey team at the Junior Sharks. That’s good enough for me right now,” he said.