SAN JOSE — Joe Thornton isn’t the type of superstar athlete who gets spotted at red carpet events popping champagne with mega-celebrities like Kanye West.
But Thornton’s status as one of the top hockey players of his generation did give him an opportunity to forge a relationship with the rock idol of his youth, a Canadian hero whom the Sharks are paying tribute to at every home game this season.
When the Sharks (25-15- 2) rush out onto the ice for pregame warmups prior to their Western Conference finals rematch with the St. Louis Blues (21-16- 5) at the SAP Center on Saturday, they’ll be skating to a pair of songs by Canadian rock legends, the Tragically Hip, as an homage to the iconic band’s frontman, Gord Downie, who’s battling glioblastoma, a rare form of terminal brain cancer.