The greatest trick Joe Thornton ever pulled was convincing the world he was keeping his beard. And like that, poof, it's gone.
The veteran San Jose Sharks forward and his daughter, Ayla, shared a video that will no doubt shock Sharks and NHL fans. In it, the two are standing next to each other when Ayla poses like a genie and taps her head forward much like the title character in "I Dream of Jeannie."
One clever jump cut later, Thornton's beard disappeared.
Shaving his trademark beard was a change for Thornton, but he almost had a much bigger change in February before the NHL Trade Deadline. Thornton said he
"I wanted a shot," Thornton said then. "I've been hunting this thing down for 22 years and I wanted another shot at it, and I wanted to get something (for the Sharks) in return. But it just didn't work out. Back to the grind. That's how it is."
Thornton, who agreed to a one-year contract in September, scored 31 points (seven goals, 24 assists) in 70 games this season. The Sharks were last in the Western Conference when the NHL season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.
Thornton, who will turn 41 in July, has played 15 seasons for San Jose after playing his first eight for the Boston Bruins, who selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 1997 NHL Draft. His 1,636 NHL games are second-most without winning the Stanley Cup, behind former teammate Patrick Marleau (1,723).
