1899
by BillP.
I liked Thorburn, wish he had more of a hand in the SC Championship. There was a post game video after a win in Winnipeg on the NHL.com app and it was specifically for Thorburn and showing him walking into the dressing room with a big smile on his face, had a suit on with that pony tail and he was giving high fives all around the dressing room. That was one of the coolest things of the post season IMO. And if anyone can dig up that video, I'd like to see it again. I've tried finding it but it's like it disappeared. Weird.
Chris Thorburn retired from the NHL on Monday after 14 seasons.
The forward, who turned 37 on June 3, did not play in the NHL this season, and played one game with the St. Louis Blues in 2018-19. He was recalled during their run to the Stanley Cup but did not play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"To finish my hockey career with the St. Louis Blues and finally get an opportunity to lift the Stanley Cup over my head, I could not have scripted a better way to go out," Thorburn said in a statement. "Thank you to (general manager) Doug Armstrong and (owner) Tom Stillman, as well as (coach) Craig Berube, the coaching staff and the training staff. Most importantly, thank you to my Blues teammates for taking me on a journey of a lifetime."
After playing 1:52 with the Blues against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 13, 2018, Thorburn was sent to San Antonio of the American Hockey League, where he played for the remainder of the season. He was recalled by the Blues prior to the playoffs last season, remained with them for the duration and celebrated with them on the ice after they defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round (No. 50) of the 2001 NHL Draft, Thorburn scored 134 points (53 goals, 81 assists) and had 968 penalty minutes in 801 regular-season games with the Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thashers, Winnipeg Jets and Blues. He did not have a point in four playoff games for the Jets in 2014-15.
"It was an unbelievable ride with a storybook ending," Thorburn said. "As tough as it is to close this chapter, I am excited for the new adventures ahead for myself and my family."