Ex-Leafs Forward Joe Thornton Has Fans Chuckling After Remark About He and William Nylander

With a larger than life personality, 'Jumbo' Joe Thornton spent 24 years in the NHL, providing his teammates and media with constant entertainment.

From his 'four goals in a game' comment to walking around Pittsburgh shirtless, to signing a contract on his lawn mower, the St. Thomas, Ontario native did everything but capture that elusive Stanley Cup during his career.

Announcing his retirement in October of 2023 the way only Thornton can -- with a comical, shirtless video -- the former first-overall pick has remained close to the game, working with the San Jose Sharks and their player development team.

Amassing 1,539 points in 1,714 regular season games, Thornton was known as one of the league's best playmakers throughout a career that began with the Boston Bruins in 1997 and ended with the Florida Panthers in 2022.

As the former Hart Trophy winner gets set to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame this weekend, NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger caught up with his former teammates and coaches to offer a glimpse into how his larger-than-life personality helped him become one of the most likeable players in NHL history.

A mentor to Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander during his one season in Toronto, Thornton is still viewed that way by the trio. That was evident last season, when Matthews invited him on the Leafs' mentors trip.

While Matthews and Marner seemed the closest to Thornton, it's Nylander who is keeping his shirtless interview tradition going.

While he wasn't able to help the Leafs capture a Stanley Cup, he certainly left his mark. Did he have too much of an influence on the young Leafs? Some of us believe he did and have placed some of the blame on him for creating a 'country club' mentality behind closed doors.

Regardless, Thornton was always a guy that was able to bright light to some of the worst situations and provided fans across the league with countless laughs, and for that, we thank you, Jumbo, and congratulations on a well-deserved spot in the Hall.