The Bruins never got to face Joe Thornton during his one season in Toronto thanks to the NHL's COVID realignment last year.
They will see the 42-year-old center in division play this season, though. The Florida Panthers announced Friday morning that they have signed Thornton to a one-year deal.
The Panthers may not jump off the page as much as the Lightning, Bruins and Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division, but after finishing with the NHL's fourth-best record last year and trading for Sam Reinhart this summer, they could be a sneaky contender and a thorn in the side of those other three.
It may be a bit of stretch to think the Panthers could give Thornton a real chance to win his first Stanley Cup as he now enters his 24th season, but a deep playoff run isn't out of the question at all.
Thornton, of course, spent his first seven-plus seasons with the Bruins after they drafted him first overall in 1997. He was infamously traded to the San Jose Sharks in Nov. 2005 for Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart and Wayne Primeau.
Thornton went on to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP that season and ultimately spent the next 15 years in San Jose before moving on to Toronto last year.
Thornton is 14th in NHL history with 1,529 career points and will move up to 12th with five more points. Last year, he had five goals and 15 assists in 44 games.
The Bruins and Panthers play each other three times in the regular season -- Oct. 27 in Florida, Oct. 30 in Boston, and April 26 in Boston.
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