Reports Confirmed That Joe Thornton Was Nearly Traded for Hall-Of-Fame Goalie
Recent reports have just confirmed that Joe Thornton's career almost looked drastically different as he was nearly traded for this Hall of Fame goalie.
Thornton Almost Traded for Luongo in One-For-One Deal
NHL insider Jeff Marek just confirmed reports that the Boston Bruins were extremely close to trading Joe Thornton for Roberto Luongo in a one-for-one deal. Obviously, this never happened, as we know from experience. Apparently, the Panthers had issues with the salary situation resulting from the trade.
"[The Panthers] tried to get Joe Thornton from Boston and the deal was Thornton for Roberto Luongo one-for-one But the Panthers owner didn't want to take money back."- Jeff Marek
Luongo and Thornton Could Have Had Different Looking Careers
Joe Thornton was eventually traded from Boston to San Jose in a blockbuster deal that saw 3 players sent to the Bruins in exchange for Thornton. While Thornton never won a Stanley Cup in San Jose, he did lead the team to the finals in 2016.
So many Jumbo memories in San Jose. Here are a few of our favorite Joe Thornton moments.
Luongo also was eventually traded from the Panthers to the Canucks, in a blockbuster deal that involved Todd Bertuzzi. Luongo, like Thornton, never won a cup in Vancouver but did take them to the 2010-11 Stanley Cup finals.
Former NHL goaltender and Florida Panthers executive Roberto Luongo joins Hockey Central to reflect on his Stanley Cup run with the Vancouver Canucks, why he gets nervous watching the Panthers play as an executive, and more. ⤵️
What a different landscape the NHL would have been if Luongo played for the Bruins and Thornton played for the Panthers (beyond his brief stint in 2021)!
As seen on House of Hockey - "Insider Reveals The Trade Involving Joe Thornton That Nearly Changed NHL History"
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 30 | 42 ANSWERS Reports Confirmed That Joe Thornton Was Nearly Traded for Hall-Of-Fame Goalie Do you think that would have been a good trade? | ||
| Yes | 22 | 52.4 % |
| No | 20 | 47.6 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
Top 10 latest hockey stories
