DALLAS — On a night where Joe Thornton reached a major milestone, the Dallas Stars played the role of party poopers, blowing out all 1,500 of the candles on his cake.
Thornton, 39, became the 19th player to reach the 1,500 game plateau Thursday, a list led by Gordie Howe (1,767), Mark Messier (1,756) and Jaromir Jagr (1733). Among active players, only Patrick Marleau (1,590), Thornton’s teammate for 12 years, has played more games. The Stars honored Thornton by showing a video montage of his highlights on the cube and he received a standing ovation from the visiting crowd, showing just how well-respected he is across the league.