Thornton rips refs, considers retirement
TSN.ca Staff
11/10/2003
Boston Bruins star Joe Thornton is so fed up with the clutching and grabbing in the NHL that he has considered calling it quits.
In an interview with Gino Reda on TSN?s Molson That?s Hockey on Monday, Thornton said his frustration over the lack of penalty-calling boiled over in a game with the Pittsburgh Penguins last week.
"It was a tough day for me,? Thornton said. ?I look back on it with thoughts that this might be my last year. It's not worth the pain. My back is killing me and things like that - it's just not worth the ordeal.
?You don't want to be a whiner, you just want to the game to be called how it is in the rulebook,? he said. ?Hopefully, whoever is telling the officials not to call these penalties will look at it and see that they are penalties and, hopefully, we'll get some fun back into hockey."
Thornton said the clutch and grab style used by teams to hinder today?s power forwards needs to be addressed to help create more scoring opportunities, thus providing a greater entertainment package for fans.
"It's the holding, it's the clutching and grabbing. Things like that are taking goal scoring out of the game,? Thornton said. ?They're looking at goaltender pads and things like that, and it might help in the long run, but if you cut down on this stuff in the offensive zone I think you'll see goal-scoring going up and fan attendance going up as well."
Thornton agreed with the notion that it was essentially open season on big forwards in the NHL.
"Right now, it is. You look at any defenceman and they know that ? they can hold onto them, clutch and grab in the offensive zone and they are not going to get called. Everybody knows it. We know it in Boston with Glen Murray and Mike Knuble - that (defencemen) can do whatever they want. If they fall or trip there is not going to be any penalty."
Thornton noted that it was not unusual for his on-ice complaints to fall on deaf ears. In fact, he said many referees tell him to just play through it. Thornton said he?s generally told, "You're big and strong, stay on your feet, keep your legs moving and fight through it.?
Thornton said it gets tougher when he starts to hear that on a regular basis.
?When it's every game and (the referees) keep on telling you that, it gets pretty frustrating and you wish they were in your shoes for two or three shifts out there."
TSN.ca Staff
11/10/2003
Boston Bruins star Joe Thornton is so fed up with the clutching and grabbing in the NHL that he has considered calling it quits.
In an interview with Gino Reda on TSN?s Molson That?s Hockey on Monday, Thornton said his frustration over the lack of penalty-calling boiled over in a game with the Pittsburgh Penguins last week.
"It was a tough day for me,? Thornton said. ?I look back on it with thoughts that this might be my last year. It's not worth the pain. My back is killing me and things like that - it's just not worth the ordeal.
?You don't want to be a whiner, you just want to the game to be called how it is in the rulebook,? he said. ?Hopefully, whoever is telling the officials not to call these penalties will look at it and see that they are penalties and, hopefully, we'll get some fun back into hockey."
Thornton said the clutch and grab style used by teams to hinder today?s power forwards needs to be addressed to help create more scoring opportunities, thus providing a greater entertainment package for fans.
"It's the holding, it's the clutching and grabbing. Things like that are taking goal scoring out of the game,? Thornton said. ?They're looking at goaltender pads and things like that, and it might help in the long run, but if you cut down on this stuff in the offensive zone I think you'll see goal-scoring going up and fan attendance going up as well."
Thornton agreed with the notion that it was essentially open season on big forwards in the NHL.
"Right now, it is. You look at any defenceman and they know that ? they can hold onto them, clutch and grab in the offensive zone and they are not going to get called. Everybody knows it. We know it in Boston with Glen Murray and Mike Knuble - that (defencemen) can do whatever they want. If they fall or trip there is not going to be any penalty."
Thornton noted that it was not unusual for his on-ice complaints to fall on deaf ears. In fact, he said many referees tell him to just play through it. Thornton said he?s generally told, "You're big and strong, stay on your feet, keep your legs moving and fight through it.?
Thornton said it gets tougher when he starts to hear that on a regular basis.
?When it's every game and (the referees) keep on telling you that, it gets pretty frustrating and you wish they were in your shoes for two or three shifts out there."
