It took Joe Thornton almost two decades in the NHL to go viral.
In the past year, the San Jose Sharks center and future Hall of Famer has seen himself turn into an internet meme three times.
The first such situation came last season in Pittsburgh when a photo surfaced of Thornton, who ranks 20th on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,398 points, walking shirtless around the city with teammate Brent Burns on an off day.
Then Thornton and Burns showed off exaggerated forms of their beards in ESPN the Magazine's Body Issue.