from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

We were talking about longevity and career plans and how, in an era when youth is being served all around the NHL, there are still a few holdouts here and there – a Jaromir Jagr, a Shane Doan and yes even a Joe Thornton – who defy the years and the era they play in and still find a way to succeed.

The one common factor is their great love of the game. You ask Thornton why, at the age of 36, he is still thriving in the NHL and the answer comes easily: there isn’t another thing he’d rather be doing. After all these years, the life of a professional athlete – competing against his peers on the ice, enjoying the camaraderie of the dressing room off the ice – still holds a certain little-boy appeal.

Thornton and Jagr share the same genuine joie de vivre when it comes to playing the game, which is what inspires them to keep doing it long after many of their peers have stepped aside.

“I don’t think you play the game at that level at their ages unless you genuinely love the game,” said Sharks’ coach Peter DeBoer, who also coached Jagr for most of two years with the New Jersey Devils. “Joe loves everything about the game. He’s the first guy at the rink on game days. He’s preparing 3 1/2 hours before the game starts. Every time we have an optional practice, he’s on the ice, working on some part of his game.

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