Logan Couture was still in his mid-teens when he met Joe Thornton for the first time.
Joe’s father, Wayne Thornton, would often attend St. Thomas Stars games outside of Toronto, near his home in London, Ontario. Couture played for the Junior B team there in 2004-05, where he was a nearly point-per-game player.
Wayne noticed Couture’s dominance, and it eventually led to John Thornton, Wayne’s other son and also Joe’s agent, becoming Couture’s agent, too. Couture and John Thornton attended a Bruins-Maple Leafs game together while Joe was still playing for Boston, and afterward, they all met up after the game for a brief hello.
Just a couple of years later, Couture would become the Sharks’ first-round draft pick, after the team traded up to select him ninth overall in 2007. Shortly thereafter, Couture and Thornton became teammates, which they’ve been ever since.
Until Friday.
Thornton’s 15-year…
