WINNIPEG (AP) — Joe Thornton is known for dishing out assists on the ice.
However, he ended Monday night’s game with a puck being handed back to him.
Thornton picked up his 1,000th assist when he got a helper in the San Jose Sharks’ 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.
Joe Pavelski scored an empty-net goal with 26 seconds left for a 3-1 lead, with Marc-Edouard Vlasic picking up the first assist and Thornton the second.
Tomas Hertl hustled to pick up the souvenir puck for Thornton, a veteran of 19 NHL seasons, so that he’d have a keepsake from the milestone point. Thornton is the 13th player to reach the milestone.
“What can I say? It’s pretty cool to get there,” said the 37-year-old Thornton. “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.”
Aaron Dell stopped 31 shots in his 14th game for the Sharks, who were coming off a 3-1 loss Sunday in Minnesota.
Pavelski…
