SAN JOSE — The inevitable is now official: Joe Thornton is the Sharks nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
At this point, the story is almost deserving of its own feature film: a future Hall of Famer suffers two major-knee injuries in a 10-month span, fights his way back onto the ice at age 39 and plays a key role in a contender’s run to the playoffs. The only missing piece is a Hollywood finish with the Stanley Cup being hoisted at SAP Center in June.
In short, Thornton is a walking embodiment of the award, displaying exceptional “perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication” to the game.