BOSTON — Wearing a red Florida Panthers jacket and hat, Shawn Thornton met with the media Tuesday morning at TD Garden.
It was a very different sight from what we’ve seen over the past seven years, and that’s how Thornton described his return to Boston for the first time as a visiting player.
“I’m excited. It’ll probably settle in a little more when I get here (Tuesday night),” Thornton said. “It’s a little weird walking in the other door, but it’s good to be back here.
“There’s no other way to explain it, I guess. It’s just different. It’s part of the sport, you move on and go to different places. But coming back in here after seven years and the success we had, it is different being on this side. Excited and different.”
Thornton said his role with Florida is pretty similar to what he played in Boston. He’s playing “eight to 12 minutes” on the fourth line and providing energy for his team.
Thornton was not offered a contract from the Bruins following the 2013-14 season, and he signed a two-year deal worth $2.4 million with the Panthers in the summer. Even though he won’t be wearing a spoked-B sweater Tuesday night, expect Thornton to receive a loud ovation from Bruins fans during his first shift.
“It was great while I was here,” Thornton said. “I’m hoping to get (a good) reception (from the fans). If they do, it’ll be appreciated. That’s for sure.”
Thornton quickly became a fan favorite in Boston for playing the “Big and Bad” style of hockey that makes the Bruins an exciting team to watch. With that said, Thornton was more than a fourth-line player who was willing to drop the gloves for a fight.
He brought leadership, depth scoring and Stanley Cup-winning experience to a Bruins team that hadn’t won a playoff series since 1998-99 when he arrived in Boston for the 2007-08 campaign. Daniel Paille, Gregory Campbell and Thornton formed one of the league’s most effective fourth lines from 2010-11 through 2012-13.
One of the key advantages for Boston in the 2011 Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks was B’s head coach Claude Julien’s ability to roll four lines. The Bruins’ fourth line played well throughout the series, and the Canucks weren’t able to match this depth.
Thornton helped turn the tide in Boston’s favor after it went down 2-0 after two heartbreaking losses in Vancouver. His first shift of Game 3 — he didn’t play in the two previous games — energized his team and the crowd. His physical play set the tone for the rest of the series as the B’s wore down the Canucks and won four of the next five games.
In addition to his on-ice contributions, Thornton set a professional example for young players to follow with his dedication to training and hard work in practice. He’s doing the same for a Panthers team that features several talented young players with high-end skill — Aaron Ekblad, Jonathan Hubderdeau, Nick Bjugstd, Aleksander Barkov, etc. — who don’t yet know how to win at the NHL level and have very little, or no, postseason experience.
“We got a good team,” Thornton said. “A great bunch of guys, a great locker room. It’s been seamless that way, guys enjoy being around each other everyday, and it’s kind of translating onto the ice. New coaches, new system. So, the first few games, everyone’s trying to get used to it.
“We’ve been playing some good hockey of late, and I’m hoping we keep surprising some people.”
Photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
