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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube is happy to have the presence of Joe Thornton back on the team.
The man affectionately known as 'Jumbo Joe' is back with the Toronto Maple Leafs and working to mentor their younger players on the ice as part of a contingent of legends working with the team.
Head coach Craig Berube commented on the move, saying that it was "great to see him" and that Thornton has close relationships with players he spent time with in Toronto.
Joe Thornton's unofficial return To Toronto
A surefire Hall of Famer, Thornton has 1,539 career NHL points in 1,714 games played, with 430 goals and 1,109 assists.
Thornton is sixth all-time among NHLers in games played, 65 games back of longtime Sharks teammate Patrick Marleau for first.
No, Thornton isn't returning to the NHL to chase Marleau's record. Thornton is back in Toronto in a mentorship role, brought along by Leafs captain Auston Matthews as a "mentor" for a two-game road trip.
Matthews has Thornton accompanying him, having been there for the team's game against the Philadelphia Flyers, along with Leafs legends Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour.
Thornton, previously one of the league's best players in his prime with the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks and HC Davos in Switzerland, joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020, uniting with the Leafs "core-four" as a veteran in the locker room.
Thornton had five goals and 20 points in 44 games in his lone season in Toronto, retiring a year later with the Florida Panthers for an incredible 24 season career in the National Hockey League.
Joe Thornton at 45 has more than certainly hung up his skates for good, but that doesn't keep him away from the game of hockey looking to foster the next generation of NHL superstars.
Although Thornton isn't considered a "Leafs legend" as he would be a Sharks legend, and to somewhat of a lesser extent a Bruins legend, his impact in Toronto is still clearly felt in the players who played alongside him. And it shows the respect the team, including captain Auston Matthews, has for him.
An Art Ross, Hart and Olympic gold medalist, it's quite easy to have admiration for Joe Thornton's legacy in hockey, something that a player like Matthews respects.
But just as much on the ice, it's the off-ice friendship that has earned Thornton's admiration from the Leafs captain.
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Ryan Reaves' Clear Opinion of Maple Leafs Captain Auston Matthews
Before Ryan Reaves was traded to the San Jose Sharks earlier this summer, he had a front-row seat to Auston Matthews' first season wearing the “C” for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Matthews dealt with injury setbacks throughout the year, missing 15 games after hurting himself during training camp. He still found a way to finish the season, racking up 78 points in 67 regular-season games, adding 11 points in 13 playoff outings. Reaves appeared on the "Leafs Morning Take" podcast on Monday to discuss that and many other topics. Reaves opened up on his two seasons in Toronto. The enforcer offered insight into what made the 2024–25 campaign unique and how Matthews handled the spotlight during his first year as the team captain. “I think a lot of (Matthews') leadership is led by example,” Reaves said. “He works incredibly hard in practice. And on the ice, I think you see how hard he works in all three zones. “Obviously, grinding through some issues this year, and, you know, really trying to grind through it for the team.” Reaves said that even though Matthews was forced to miss time throughout the season, the captain maintained a presence Reaves — a 38-year-old veteran — found instructive, especially for younger players in the locker room. “To me, Auston was a guy who really led by example, really tried to drag guys into battles, practice,” Reaves said. “Never took days off, never, never coasted in practice. Always working his (expletive) off, on the ice before everybody else, off the ice last, you know. “(It’s) something that, as a vet, it was great to see. It really teaches those young guys how to, how to be, you know, the best in the world.” Reaves, however, acknowledged that Matthews wasn’t the most vocal captain he’d ever played with. That said, the veteran still respected Matthews' approach to leading the Maple Leafs. “Everybody leads differently, right?” Reaves said. “You can’t be the most vocal and the most leading by example, you can’t, you can’t do it all.”
WNBA All-Star Game ratings paint a troubling picture
WNBA players sent a message to the league with T-shirts they wore ahead of the All-Star Game on Saturday night, but the ratings for the game did not exactly strengthen their stance. Prior to the All-Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Caitlin Clark and other players warmed up in shirts that said “Pay us what you owe us” across the front. The message had to do with the current state of collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the WNBA and WNBA Player’s Association. Unfortunately for the players, the television ratings for the game were not very good. Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported on Tuesday that the WNBA All-Star Game drew 2.19 million viewers on ABC, which was down roughly 36% from a year ago. Last year’s game featured the WNBA All-Stars against the Team USA squad that was preparing to compete in the Summer Olympics in Paris. The dip in ratings is likely another example of the type of impact Clark has had on the WNBA. Although she was a team captain for this year’s All-Star Game, Clark did not play due to a groin injury. Clark played in last year’s game for the All-Star side, as she did not make the Team USA Olympic roster. Many fans were outraged that she was snubbed from the Olympic team, which added an element of intrigue to the All-Star Game. There is no way of knowing for certain whether more fans would have watched the All-Star Game on Saturday night had Clark played. It is a safe guess, however, especially when you look at some recent trends for the league.
Thorbjorn Olesen, Cristobal Del Solar tied for Canadian Open lead
Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and PGA Tour rookie Cristobal Del Solar of Chile each posted a 9-under-par 61 to share the first-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday in Caledon, Ontario. Olesen and Del Solar took full advantage of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in the venue's PGA Tour debut. They own a one-shot lead over Cameron Champ; Jake Knapp is alone in fourth at 7-under 63. Shane Lowry of Ireland went out in 5-under 30 on his way to a round of 64. He is tied for fifth with Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark and Trey Mullinax. The low Canadian for the day was Taylor Pendrith (65), who set the clubhouse lead in the morning wave before several players passed him by. Defending champion Robert MacIntyre of Scotland is among the several golfers knotted with him in eighth place at 5 under. Del Solar birdied 10 of his first 16 holes to pass Olesen for the outright lead and threaten a score of 59. However, he failed to get up and down from the bunker at the par-4 17th hole and took his only bogey of the day. He missed a 15-foot putt for birdie for the outright lead at No. 18. Del Solar's claim to fame is a round of 57 he shot on the Korn Ferry Tour in February 2024. It was the lowest round ever recorded in a PGA Tour-sanctioned tournament. Olesen, meanwhile, has eight wins on the DP World Tour but is seeking his first title in the United States. Two-time Canadian champion Rory McIlroy is in danger of missing the cut after shooting a 1-over 71, which he ended with consecutive bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9. The Northern Irishman is playing for the first time since a T47 finish at the PGA Championship.
Celtics Expected to Make Another Trade After New Comments From Executive
The Boston Celtics' priorities were already apparent before making the trades they did. Because they wanted to get under the NBA's second tax apron, the Celtics were willing to downgrade some of their players to get under it. That's why the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday for Anfernee Simons and Kristaps Porzingis for Georges Niang. It is a talent downgrade, but it helped Boston achieve their goals of getting under the second apron, even if those players aren't as good as Holiday or Porzingis. However, those trades only helped Boston get closer to being under the NBA's second tax apron, but it didn't get them under completely. Boston signed a few more players this offseason, including Luka Garza, Josh Minott, and Hugo Gonzalez. While these players are on inexpensive contracts, combined, they are enough to keep the Celtics above the NBA's second tax apron. That's why Boston isn't done making moves. Spotrac's Keith Smith revealed in an interview with a Boston Celtics executive that more trades will follow because they are still above the NBA's second tax apron. “Still figuring it all out. As you’ve noted, we’re still above the second apron. We won’t finish there," the Celtics exec told Smith. As far as how the Celtics will do that is anyone's guess. They may trade Anfernee Simons for someone who makes less than him. They may trade Niang's contract to a team that can absorb it via trade exception. They may even trade Sam Hauser or Payton Pritchard to do it. Regardless, more moves are coming for the Celtics.
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