And its Doug Wilson for the win.
The San Jose Sharks general manager last week deigned to criticise the team’s star Joe Thornton – and the way Thornton replied proved Wilson’s point.
On Thursday, in a forum with season-ticket holders, Wilson explained why Thornton was demoted in the off-season to assistant captain, after having been captain for four seasons.
“He cares about the game so much. The reason we took the ‘C’ off him … Joe carries the weight of the team on his shoulders and he’s got such a big heart that when stress comes on him, he lashes out at people and it kind of impacts them,” Wilson said, as per a report in the San Jose Mercury News. “The pressure and stress, I felt, was getting to Joe. And I sat him down and said we need other players to step up and share this. He got it. He didn’t like it, but he got it and he understood it.”
A day later, Thornton showed what Wilson was talking about. When the stress came on him from the criticism, he lashed out at someone – in this case, Wilson.
“I think Doug just needs to shut his mouth,” Thornton told the San jose Mercury News. “All I’ve got to say is I’ve been here every day working hard. I haven’t taken a sabbatical. He just needs to stop lying, shut his mouth.”
In the end this could be a good thing.
Wilson’s words may well be remembered as the spark that lit the fuse that finally blew up the Sharks, a team that, in the Thornton era, has reliably disappointed in the play-offs.
Of course this all could backfire on Wilson.
Thornton – who came to San Jose in a 2005 trade from Boston, which had lost faith in its most talented player – has a no-trade clause in his contract.
General managers enjoy no such leverage.
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