from Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News,

Thornton, 39, will become the 19th player in NHL history to play in 1,500 games Thursday when the Sharks visit the Dallas Stars to start a quick two-game road trip. In 20-plus seasons, he’s played 967 games with the Sharks, second-most in franchise history behind Patrick Marleau (1,493)....

Reaching 1,500 games “is really hard to do, and it’s even harder to do in the era that Joe’s in right now,” said Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens, who played 1,635 games from 1982-2004 and is now an analyst for NHL Network.

“The way the game has changed, hats off to Joe to figure out how to stay effective and be as good as he has been in a different era.”

Of the 18 players who have reached this plateau, 14 are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, with others like Jaromir Jagr, Marleau and Jarome Iginla likely to follow once they become eligible.

Thornton, with 1,430 career points, 16th all-time, will be there too, one day.

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