Less than six months after tearing the ligaments in his left knee, San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton says he’s ready to hit the ice again for the 2017-18 season. Speaking with NHL.com at training camp on Friday, Thornton gave a positive update on his recovery from tearing the ACL and MCL in his knee.
Joe Thornton says his knee ‘feels great’ after recovery from ACL tear
The Sharks’ center will be ready for the start of the season.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
“I feel good,” Thornton said. “I rehabbed hard this summer. The knee feels great, to be honest with you. It feels real good.”
Thornton suffered the major knee injury on April 2 in a regular season game against the Canucks. He returned for Game 3 of the Sharks’ first-round playoff series against the Oilers, and stayed in the lineup for the next four games before San Jose was eliminated.
On April 24, Thornton underwent surgery to repair the ligaments. He returned to the ice for the first time in early August, then “started ramping it up” in recent weeks. The Sharks opened training camp for the upcoming season on Friday.
San Jose showed its confidence in Thornton back in early July when it signed him to a one-year, $8 million contract. The team had been planning to give him less money in order to try to retain Patrick Marleau, but once he went to the Maple Leafs, the Sharks decided to show some love to one of their most cherished players.
Thornton may be 38 years old and coming off a major knee injury, but he’s still been effective of late. Last season with the Sharks, he put up 50 points and very good possession numbers in 73 games. Having him healthy will be crucial to San Jose’s success in a crowded Pacific Division.
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