Shawn Thornton

Shawn Thornton (born on July 23, 1977) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing Career
Shawn grew up playing minor hockey for his hometown Oshawa Minor Generals of the OMHA's Eastern AAA League.

He was drafted in the 9th round (145th overall) by the Peterborough Petes in the 1995 OHL Priority Selection, one year after being originally passed over in the draft as a Midget-aged player.

Shawn was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997 (190th overall). He won the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks and again in 2011 with the Boston Bruins.

On July 1, 2007, Shawn became an unrestricted free agent and signed a three-year, 1.5 million dollar deal with the Boston Bruins.

With the Bruins, Shawn finally became an NHL regular, and he has become famous for taking on famous enforcers like Georges Laraque, Donald Brashear and Derek Boogaard. He also has his own video blog on the Bruins website.

On January 1, 2010, Shawn was involved in the first fight in the history of the Winter Classic with Philadelphia Flyers agitator Daniel Carcillo at Boston's Fenway Park.

During the 2011 Stanley Cup run, Shawn was a healthy scratch for several games as the Bruins chose to play rookie Tyler Seguin to gain more offense, however, he was inserted into the lineup during Game 3 of the Finals as a turning point for the series.

His physical play changed the tone of the series and the Bruins went on to win four of the last five games with him in the lineup.

On June 15, 2011, Shawn got to lift the Stanley Cup for the second time in 2011, the first time Boston has won since 1972.

On December 7, 2013, Shawn punched Pittsburgh Penguins player Brooks Orpik which resulted in Orpik losing consciousness and later being diagnosed with a concussion. He expressed remorse, but added: "That’s always my job, I guess, to defend my teammates..."

On December 14, 2013, Shawn was suspended for fifteen games for "punching and injurying an unsuspecting player."

Personal Life
Shawn is a cousin of Bill Greer of the Toronto Rock (NLL), Zack Greer of the Edmonton Rush (NLL) & Denver Outlaws (MLL) and Chris Brunt of West Bromwich Albion (EPL).

On October 2, 2010, Shawn and the Boston Bruins played an exhibition game against the Belfast Giants in Belfast, Northern Ireland where his mother was born. He appeared in the movie "Ted."

Restaurant Ownership
Shawn is a part-owner of a restaurant in Pembroke, Massachusetts named Turner's Yard. One of his partners in the venture is retired Major League Baseball pitcher Tim Wakefield.