Former Boston Bruins forward/enforcer Shawn Thornton would like nothing more than to come back to Boston and live there full-time.
At the end of last season, the 39-year old forward had prepared himself to be off the ice. He was ready to retire, and see if the Boston Bruins would have some kind of job offer waiting for the two-time Stanley Cup winner. Then the Florida Panthers than give him the opportunity to stay on the ice with a one-year contract offer.
The offer was a little surprising. Shawn Thornton played in only 50 games last year for Florida, and only netted a single goal in the 2015-16 season.
“When they offered another year I sprained my finger signing the thing before they changed their minds,” said Thornton at last week’s Putts and Punches for Parkinson’s Golf Tournament.
So, why would the Panthers keep Thornton around? For that matter, why should the Boston Bruins try to re-hire a player they let go a couple of season ago?
Shawn Thornton is the kind of player who acts as a supplemental coach on the ice. He was there to offer words of encouragement (or a boot up the backside) to players like Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin as they pushed their way to their 2011 Stanley Cup win. That’s the role Thornton will play with the Panthers (and the role he should have had with the Boston Bruins).
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That’s the kind of coach (or player development specialist) that can make a difference with a young team. The Florida Panthers are on their way up, and it’s because of their attitude and their willingness to constantly improve. The Bruins were like that once, and need to be like that again.
If given a choice, the former Bruins enforcer would rather live and work in Boston.
“I miss it here.” lamented Thornton over his absence from his adopted home. “When I come back it’s nostalgic. Every time I walk into my condo, I’m like ‘God, I miss it here.’
Thornton knows that the next season will be his last in a sweater, and he’s hoping to transition into a hands-on front office job. When asked about his post-player life, Thornton shared that he wants to stay in hockey, regardless of the role he ends up in.
“Probably more on the business side of thing is where it’s looking right now,” shared Thornton. “Things change year to year. This would’ve been a different conversation last year. But as of now probably leaning more towards the business side of hockey.”
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The Boston Bruins are heading into a youth movement whether they like it or not. Over the next few years, the average age of a Boston Bruin will take a sharp dip downward. The B’s could seriously use a man like Thornton to work with the Bruins in a player development role, like they did with former player Jay Pandolfo (who is now an assistant coach in Boston).
Shawn Thornton’s time on the ice is over. The Bruins should snap him up before he ends up making the permanent move to Florida.