Report: Sharks accused of lying about Thornton's health

Worrisome report about the veteran's health and future...

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
Report: Sharks accused of lying about Thornton's health
KeyStone Press

The Mercury News in San Jose has had enough. On Thursday morning, Paul Gackle published the article: "Joe Thornton’s health: Give it to us straight." The paper clearly takes issue with the San Jose Sharks for playing coy over the health of the star player. 

And let's just say, it's not the first time they do it. 

Thornton has missed “both of the Sharks practices this week after sitting out two last week and skating for a season-low 14 minutes Saturday night.” When head coach Pete Deboer was asked about his top players' health, he replied that he wasn't a 100 percent. 

When reporters pressed, wondering if Thornton's knee, the surgically-repaired one from last spring, Deboer was quite coy in his answers. 

Did I say his knee isn’t 100 percent?” DeBoer asked reporters after practice Wednesday. “I don’t think so. I said he wasn’t 100 percent.

Gackle reminded us an important factor: "In addition to being a smart NHL coach, DeBoer owns two law degrees, so he knows how to litigate and manipulate the technicalities of language .By the letter of the law, the Sharks coach isn’t lying when he says that he didn’t make direct reference to Thornton’s knee when asked about his health Sunday night."

However, the Sharks were also also misleading when discussing Thornton’s recovery earlier this year from offseason knee surgery. Even Thornton himself didn't tell the truth then! Fans are simply worried something might be more serious and could affect the rest of the season for the team. 

"Keep in mind, Thornton told a bald-faced lie three days after he tore the medial collateral ligament and the anterior collateral ligament in his left knee last April, saying an MRI revealed that, “everything looked good,” adds Gackle. 

Thornton went on to play in the playoffs, only to undergo ACL and MCL surgery just two days after the team's elimination. 

Deboer has since refused to answer questions about Thonrton's health. Clearly, the Mercury News' request is not being answered... 

Are you worried about the veteran's health?