Joe Thornton earned the Hart and Art Ross Trophies while reaching major career milestones in a San Jose Sharks uniform. He'll be the second player to have his number retired by the club.

The San Jose Sharks announced on Wednesday they plan to retire Joe Thornton's No. 19 next season.

'Jumbo Joe' played the sixth-most games of any NHL player ever during his 24-season career, with 1,714. He also has the seventh-most assists in NHL history (1,109) and the 13th-most points, with 1,539. But the bulk of his career came with the Sharks, where he played 1,104 games and recorded 804 assists and 1,055 points. He left the Sharks in 2020 and last played in the NHL in 2022 for the Florida Panthers, officially announcing his retirement last October.

Thornton is expected to be just the second player to have their number retired by the Sharks, following Patrick Marleau's No. 12 on Feb. 25, 2023. Details on the ceremony and the specific date are to be determined.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to play in the National Hockey League for 24 seasons,” Thornton said in a team release. “But when I came to San Jose, it felt like I was truly home. I fell in love with the area and the people, and I had the best years of my career wearing the Sharks crest.”

Thornton joined the Sharks in November 2005 via trade after 532 games for the Boston Bruins, which drafted him first overall in 1997. While he didn't win the Stanley Cup, he reached the final with the Sharks in 2015-16 and made the Western Conference final on three other occasions – 2010, 2011 and 2019.

The 44-year-old from St. Thomas, Ont., still accomplished what most players don't during his time with the Sharks. He won the Art Ross Trophy in 2005-06 after that trade from Boston with 125 points, and he earned the Hart Trophy as league MVP as well. Thornton also notched his 1,000th NHL point and game in 2011, 1,000th assist in 2017, 1,500th game in 2018, 400th goal in 2018 and 1,500th point in 2020, all with San Jose.

Thornton and Marleau were also the first set of teammates in NHL history to have played at least 1,600 games each in 2019. After all that, Sharks president Jonathan Becher said it was only fitting to see Thornton's No. 19 join the rafters with longtime teammate Marleau's No. 12.

“Joe’s arrival in San Jose in 2005 energized an already fervent fan base and for the next 15 seasons, Sharks fans were treated to watching one of the greatest players in NHL history,” Becher said in the team release. “He is one of the most beloved players in Sharks history, and we can’t wait to celebrate Joe’s career in San Jose during the 2024-25 season.”

For reaction to the news, here's Jacob Stoller: