Chris Thorburn

Lore & Background

Thorburn grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, playing minor hockey in the Sault Major Hockey Association. He played in the 1997 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament and later moved to Tier II junior hockey with the Elliot Lake Vikings. Selected sixth overall in the 1999 OHL Priority Selection by the North Bay Centennials, he was drafted 50th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2001. After his OHL team moved to Saginaw, he split the 2001–02 season between the Saginaw Spirit and Plymouth Whalers. Thorburn made his NHL debut on December 2, 2005, in a 5–0 loss to the San Jose Sharks, recording his first career point in his next game. He was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 3, 2006, and scored his first NHL goal on November 6, 2006, in a 3–2 overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks. After one season with Pittsburgh, he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers for a third-round pick in the 2007 draft. He signed a three-year contract extension with the Thrashers on February 26, 2011, and later re-signed with the Winnipeg Jets on June 30, 2014, for three years at $3.6 million. On June 21, 2017, he was left exposed and claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft, but became a free agent and signed a two-year, $1.8 million deal with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, 2017. In the 2018–19 season, he made one appearance with the Blues before being assigned to the AHL; he was part of the extended roster as the Blues won the Stanley Cup. He announced his retirement on June 22, 2020.

Reader's Guide

Chris Thorburn's NHL career spanned from 2006 to 2019, during which he played 801 games and scored 134 points. He was primarily valued for his physical play and fighting ability, carving out a role as an enforcer. His journey included stops with the Buffalo Sabres organization, Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, and St. Louis Blues. Notably, he was the last active NHL player from the North Bay Centennials franchise as of 2019. Thorburn's time with the Jets and Thrashers saw him sign multiple contract extensions, reflecting his steady presence. In the 2017 expansion draft, the Jets traded their first-round pick in 2017 and a third-round pick in 2019 to Vegas in exchange for Columbus' first-round pick in 2017, with Thorburn being the player selected. He concluded his career by winning the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019, though he did not play in the playoffs. Off the ice, Thorburn and his wife have organized fundraisers for special education programs after their oldest child was diagnosed with autism, raising $20,000 in 2018 for a local special education teacher.

Did You Know?

• Thorburn was selected 50th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2001 NHL entry draft.
• He was claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL expansion draft.
• Thorburn won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 as part of the extended roster.
• He and his wife raised $20,000 in 2018 for special education programs after their son was diagnosed with autism.