Joe Thornton is a massive human being, standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 220 pounds.
But according to Sharks teammate Evander Kane, Thornton's size isn't quite what it appears to be.
"I remember when I first came into the room and I had met him a bunch of times before, but on the ice, he has massive legs," Kane said during the NHL Player Gaming Challenge. "It looked like his lower legs were huge, but I realized it was knee braces. I was like, 'It's a brace.' "
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Kane revealed the factoid about Thornton while playing Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler in EA Sports NHL 20 on Saturday.
Thornton has good reason for wearing the knee braces. On April 2, 2017, Thornton suffered a torn left ACL and MCL, and played through the injuries. He sustained the same injury to his right leg in 2018.
So those knee braces are well-earned for the soon-to-be 41-year-old.
San Jose Sharks
Thornton and Kane have been teammates since a Feb. 26, 2018 trade with the Buffalo Sabres brought him to the Sharks.
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Both Sharks players are in a holding pattern while the world combats the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. No one knows when, or if, the 2019-20 NHL season will resume.
But one thing is for sure: Thornton still will be rocking the bulky knee braces.