SAN JOSE — Amid everything that happened this weekend before the San Jose Sharks raised No. 19 to the rafters at SAP Center, one thing struck Ryan Warsofsky about those standout teams that Joe Thornton led years ago.
“What I see with the alumni and the guys that came back is how much they care for each other, and that’s what we’re trying to do in there,” Warsofsky said Saturday night, looking in the direction of the Sharks’ locker room.
“The (Joe) Pavelskis, the Douglas Murrays, Patty Marleaus, that group of players, they cared about each other, and that’s what we need here. And this next generation that’s coming, we need to care about each other, and that’s why that team and those teams that Jumbo was on had so much success.”
Macklin Celebrini also noted how much love those Sharks teams and their fans had for each other.
“I think that was pretty special, how many people came out to support him,” Celebrini said of Thornton. “That just shows how important he was to the fan base and to this franchise, and the impact he made on those people.”
It will take some time for the Sharks to begin enjoying that same type of chemistry and stability those Thornton/Pavelski/Marleau-era teams had.
After all, the rebuilding Sharks will likely undergo significant roster changes over the next several months, with the trade deadline in March and eight players set to become unrestricted free agents next summer.
‘I think we’ve made strides. We have a close group,” Warsofsky said. “I think we’ve made strides. But again, to have that level of success is a good care that comes with that, and we’re not there yet.”
It will take just as long for these Sharks to become playoff contenders, particularly Stanley Cup contenders.
The Sharks’ 4-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night was their sixth in seven games, as the momentum they created a few weeks ago – with five wins in seven games – has started to dissipate.
Leading 2-1, the Sharks allowed an even-strength goal to Dylan Cozens at the 2:07 mark, and an unassisted shorthanded goal to Alex Tuch just 3:20 later.
Rasmus Dahlin added an empty net goal with less than a second left to seal a frustrating loss for the Sharks, who desperately wanted to win on the night Thornton was given the ultimate individual honor.
“It was awesome to see all the videos. I thought his speech was amazing,” said Barclay Goodrow, one of the few remaining Sharks players who were teammates with Thornton. “Obviously, you can see the amount of guys he’s had an impact on, not only on the ice, but off the ice. Personally, he was great for me. Big impact on my career, just teaching me what it takes to stick around at this level.
“It was just overall a great, great ceremony. Would have been even better to get the win tonight for him.”
There’s only one Joe Thornton, but Warsofsky is confident Celebrini can emulate ‘Jumbo’ in some respects as he gains more experience.
Just like Thornton, Celebrini’s drive, competitiveness and desire to be great set him apart at every level to this point.
Celebrini is probably a little way off before he starts to wear a letter for the Sharks, but it seems to be a safe bet that he’ll be the team’s captain one day. When that happens, he’ll have to start to take charge of the room, holding guys accountable while also making sure the team’s culture is where it needs to be – just like Thornton did.
Celebrini lives at Thornton’s house, so it stands to reason that he’s taking in as much as he can from the Sharks and NHL legend.
“Macklin’s got god-given leadership qualities. He’ll be a really good leader, and when the time is right,” Warsofsky said. “No days off, like (Thornton) said. He worked on his craft, worked on his body, he worked on his mental game. All the things that go into being really, really good, one of the best of all time, the greats do something a little bit different.
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“Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, Joe Thornton, they’re driven by something that’s inside themselves, and that’s what great athletes do. Macklin’s starting to see that a little bit, I’m sure, and Will (Smith), living with (Marleau), So we’re very fortunate both players care deeply about trying to help our team.”
Like everyone else in attendance Saturday, Celebrini was blown away by what he saw and certainly hopes his No. 71 can join Thornton’s No. 19 someday as well.
“I mean, isn’t that every kid that’s watching, especially watching that,” Celebrini said. “I’d bet if you asked every kid in the stands today, if they played hockey and loved it, that’s where they would want to be at the end of it.
“There’s a reason why it’s so special. It’s incredibly hard to do. The way (Thornton) did it was incredible, the amount of games he played, the highlights that they were showing is … like a dream one day.”