Must see: Thornton's 1,000th career assist

Thornton’s 1,000th career assist

Joe Thornton picks up the secondary assist on Joe Pavelski’s empty-net tally, becoming the 13th player in NHL history to record 1,000 assists.

“What can I say? It’s pretty cool to get there,” Thornton said. “I’ve been waiting a while now, but to get it over with, it’s kind of nice. But good game for the guys overall tonight. It was a good win.”

“It’s always nice to get these things when you get the two points and you can have some fun on the plane on the way home.”

Top 3 players with 1,000 assists and more.

1. Wayne Gretzky (1,963 assists)

2. Ron Francis (1,249 assists)

3. Mark Messier (1,193 assists)