A native of London, Ontario, Scott Thornton played Junior B with the local Diamonds before joining the OHL's Belleville Bulls in 1987-88. The solid forward was a top prospect as the 1989 NHL Entry Draft approached and was claimed third overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played 33 games for the Leafs in 1990-91, while playing a handful of games with Belleville and the AHL's Newmarket Saints. Prior to the 1991-92 season, Thornton was sent to the Edmonton Oilers in the deal that brought goalie Grant Fuhr to Toronto. He spent time developing in the minors and played an important grinding role on the AHL's Cape Breton Oilers when they won the Calder Cup in 1993. The next season, he played 61 games as a checker on an improving Edmonton club. He was a role player for two more years on the Oilers before joining the Montreal Canadiens for parts of four seasons. He toiled admirably in the corners and helped Montreal reach the second round of the playoffs in 1998. Thornton was acquired by the Dallas Stars in 1999-00 and scored nine post-season points when the club reached the Stanley Cup finals. He signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks in July 2000 and set a personal best with 19 goals before bettering that total the following year with 26. Coming off a career high 26 goals the previous year, Thornton was plagued by injuries in 2002-03 and was limited to a mere 41 games.



Looking to rebound in 2003-04, Thornton was a key contributor in the Sharks run to the 2004 Western Conference Final. Although the Sharks fell short in their bid to reach their first Stanley Cup Final, on a more personla note, Thornton went on to reach the 700-games played plateau. Personal: Married (Joelle) with two children (Nash and Zoe)...Has a yellow lab (Gus)...Favorites: Sound Distortion (musicians), “Easy Rider” and “The Usual Suspects” (movies), “Survivor” and VH-1’s “Storytellers” (television shows), John Travolta (actor), Angelina Jolie (actress), Emile’s (San Jose area restaurant), Huron House Restaurant (hometown hangout), his own cottage in Ontario (vacation spot), steak and pasta (foods)...Away from the ice, “Thorty” likes to ride his bike and play golf...Before the 2005-06 season, he participated in “The Death Ride,” a 129-mile bike trek that included 16,000 feet of climbing over five mountain passages south of Lake Tahoe. He was among the 20 percent of the 3,000 cyclists who entered and finished the ride, which he completed in nine hours (personal goal was 10)...During the summer of 2002, he and a friend rode their mountain bikes from San Jose to the Yosemite Valley floor (210 miles and three days). The trip started with a climb up Mount Hamilton (15 miles in nearly two hours). Mount Hamilton is 4,200 feet above sea level and located east of San Jose...Bought his first motorcycle when he was 19...Hockey idol is Toronto Maple Leaf legend Darryl Sittler...Hates slow drivers in the fast lane...Has an interest in a Scandanavian spa in Ontario...Always eats the same meal on game day at San Jose’s Original Joe’s (pasta and chicken)...Would like to meet Muhammad Ali...Three wishes: Stanley Cup, continued good health for his family and kids and live a long life...Memorable NHL/Sharks moment: going to the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals with Dallas and playing in the 2004 Stanley Cup Western Conference Finals with the Sharks.