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NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND

January 23, 2009

Joe Thornton

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

JOE THORNTON: Everybody coming into this season had a clean slate. A lot of confidence from a lot of guys. He just, yeah, he's been great since day one. Everything's black or white. It's his way or you're not going to play. I think that's been good.

Q. (Indiscernible).
JOE THORNTON: No, it's fun. I got the news from Doug. He called me the other night and said I was going to be the captain, so it's a huge honor. It's a big three. And I always watched Mario (Lemieux) and he always had the C, so it's a big thrill for me.

Q. Just a quick question, are you looking ahead at all to a couple of week when you'll be back in Boston?
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, I got a couple of questions like that asked today. You do folks in day to day, and you circle those games. It's going to be fun to go back there. I haven't been back there since I got kicked out. So it's going to be fun going back and seeing it all again.

Q. Do you think he really helped your team?
JOE THORNTON: I believe so. I thought for being out of it so many years and for him to come back and play as well as he did against Vancouver the last game, I thought he did a great job. I think he's going to help the team.
He has a lot of good experience, and he can teach a lot of the guys, so I think he's going to work out nice for us.

Q. (Indiscernible).
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, I think for the regular season to teach some guys, too, and obviously for the playoffs he's had a lot of success. So I think for a little bit of both. He has a lot of hockey left in him, I think.

Q. Playing the All-Star Game in Montreal, the Centennial season, it's going to be really special? You got the C and everything.
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, yeah, it is special. This is going to be a great event. Montreal's perhaps the best hockey city in the world, so it's going to be a lot of fun. And the All-Star Game's here, everybody's here, all the best players in the world are here. It's going to be a great, great weekend.

Q. The Skills Competition? You're going to be having a lap or two?
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, yeah, for me I'm not going to be doing too much. So I can laugh and giggle with the guys. But it's going to be fun. I always like the hardest shot. When I was growing up, I always watched Al MacInnis or Freddy blow the charge away, so I'll be interested to see what they have this year.

Q. How do you think they're doing with the new composite sticks and new material?
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, no. I think he comes around the locker room a little. He looks like he can still pound it about 106, 110 miles an hour.

Q. Can you talk about your junior career and how that helps get you ready for the NHL?
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, for me it was a no-brainer. I was a high pick in Junior. But I think the NHL and Junior they kind of played a similar game, so I think they played 68, 66 games in the postseason. So I think being a young player, you want to play as many games as you can, and I think Juniors gave me that opportunity.

Q. What about growing up, that was a long ways from home? Was it a tough decision?
JOE THORNTON: No, it wasn't tough at all, I loved it up in Sioux St. Marie. I enjoyed the two years I was up there. We had pretty good teams up there. I loved the North. I've never seen snow like I did when I was up North. So it was a lot of fun, lot of good memories.

Q. Talk about Tim Thomas.
JOE THORNTON: Yeah.

Q. He never seems to get the recognition. A two-time All-Star, but people never really consider him the number one guy in Boston.
JOE THORNTON: Right, yeah.

Q. Are you surprised by that? What does a guy have to do?
JOE THORNTON: I don't know. Timmy's had great stats. Ever since he's come in the NHL. I remember when I was there, every time he came up he'd play great. So I think they're finally recognizing that he's a number one goalie, and true number one with all the stats he does have.

Q. Just didn't win the Stanley Cup.
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, that could be it, too, but he's so unorthodox. I enjoy watching him play, too. He's one of my favorite goalies to watch play.

Q. Marc Savard is another guy on that team, but here he is, one of four guys with the points and he doesn't get consideration.
JOE THORNTON: No, yeah. It's amazing, and Mark's such a good player, he sees it so well. And some of those guys kind of sneak under the radar for some reason. I'm not sure why. But both those guys are having tremendous years and that's why Boston is doing so well this year.

Q. You think they have a good team?
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, sure, there are so many good players that always fit in with good players and I think he'd be a good choice.

Q. What do you think of the whole Boston team? At mid season, both you and the Bruins have the most points, a lot of history with the Bruins. Do you ever let your mind wander would it be great if at the end?
JOE THORNTON: Oh, if it would allow it, it would be awesome. But we'd have to win in the finals to make it even more special. But it's a long, long way to go. But it would be kind of neat to see them in the finals.

Q. Does it seem now like a million years ago that you were a Bruin?
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, yeah, it does. It's so far long ago. You start a new life and then a new city. You meet new friends. And yeah, it seems a really long time ago when I played there.

Q. Can you compare what it's like being under the spotlight in Boston?
JOE THORNTON: It's not too different, to be honest with you. It's, you know, you have your couple writers, couple TVs, and that's about it. San Jose's become more of a hockey city being how successful we've had it in the last couple of years. You can tell by the attendance in our building. But they're both similar hockey cities, I think. Obviously, Boston's such a big sports town. San Jose we're really the only sport in town, but they're similar cities as far as I'm concerned.

Q. You have assists and points, and maybe haven't received all the accolades you could have received. I know that doesn't bother you. But just the same, are you happy with the production you've been able to produce?
JOE THORNTON: Yeah, yeah, I've had the luxury of playing every game, a lot of things have to go into that. And the trainers, we owe a lot of thanks to them. I've had a great opportunity to play with some great players. A lot of good things have to go into what I've been doing.

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