technical details
  1. is_video => false
  2. alias => "bayarea\/\/sharks\/sharks-legend-joe-thornton-shaves-iconic-beard-nhl-season-paused"
  3. nid => "546971"
  4. title => "Sharks legend Joe Thornton shaves iconic beard with NHL season paused"
  5. is_chrome_page => false
  6. article_body => "<p>Joe Thornton made a drastic decision with the NHL season suspended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>The Sharks\u2019 veteran center shaved his iconic beard.<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">*poof* <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kQVdFwjnI2\">pic.twitter.com\/kQVdFwjnI2<\/a><\/p>&mdash; San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SanJoseSharks\/status\/1256678363835461632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">May 2, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>Thornton is San Jose\u2019s all-time assists leader, but the 40-year-old has become arguably more synonymous with his \u201clifestyle beard\u201d in the last handful of seasons. He and teammate Brent Burns began growing beards during the 2015-16 season, and the beards became a staple for both players well beyond the 2015-16 Stanley Cup Final.<\/p>\n<p>The two posed on the cover of the \u201cBody Issue\u201d for \u201cESPN: The Magazine\u201d wearing, well, not much else outside of the beards.<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Joe Thornton &amp; <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Burnzie88?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Burnzie88<\/a> are appearing in the next ESPN Body Issue. (\ud83d\udcf7: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/brguerrero?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@brguerrero<\/a>) <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/vFRBAt4RG5\">pic.twitter.com\/vFRBAt4RG5<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Brodie Brazil (@BrodieNBCS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BrodieNBCS\/status\/878996981850415108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 25, 2017<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>Burns <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/sharks\/brent-burns-shaves-joe-thorntons-beard-teasing-end-era\" target=\"_blank\">shaved Thornton\u2019s beard<\/a> at a team party ahead of the 2018-19 regular season, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/sharks\/joe-thornton-already-regrets-shaving-beard-my-5-year-old-wasnt-happy\" target=\"_blank\">Thornton missed his facial hair<\/a> at practice the following morning.<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">End of an era ... start of something special! Lets get it going again \ud83d\udcaa <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/U4yJVxbqKh\">pic.twitter.com\/U4yJVxbqKh<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Brent Burns (@Burnzie88) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Burnzie88\/status\/1046984287633981442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 2, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>\u201cI regretted [shaving] as soon as it started hitting the floor,\u201d Thornton told reporters on Oct. 28 at the Sharks' practice facility. \u201cHopefully it\u2019ll grow back quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That it did.<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">BIG MOOD <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3g7wh4Jdu7\">pic.twitter.com\/3g7wh4Jdu7<\/a><\/p>&mdash; San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SanJoseSharks\/status\/1097731556867600384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 19, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p><strong>[REALTED: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/sharks\/nhl-rumors-sharks-front-runners-russian-goalie-alexei-melnichuk\" target=\"_blank\">Sharks reported 'front-runners' to sign top goalie prospect<\/a><strong>]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>So when the Sharks next take the ice, Thornton probably is going to have plenty of facial hair in tow.<\/p>\n<p>My vote? Thornton shouldn't shave again until he hangs up his skates for good. Although that could be a while if you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/sharks\/nhl-pause-has-sharks-joe-thornton-feeling-he-has-multiple-seasons-left\" target=\"_blank\">listen to the man himself.<\/a><\/p>\n"
  7. author => "Marcus White"
  8. mps => {"author":"Marcus White","league":"","sport":"","sponsor":""}
  9. published => "1588453320"
  10. created => "1588453332"
  11. changed => "1588456609"
  12. status => "1"
  13. hero_image_credit => "USATSI"
  14. tags => [{"tid":"20456","name":"coronavirus; COVID-19","url":"tags\/coronavirus-covid-19"},{"tid":"1156","name":"NHL","url":"tags\/nhl"},{"tid":"1161","name":"San Jose Sharks","url":"tags\/san-jose-sharks"},{"tid":"1516","name":"Joe Thornton","url":"tags\/joe-thornton"}]
  15. section => "Sharks"
  16. team => "Sharks"
  17. chrome_data => "{\"league\":\"\",\"sport\":\"\",\"sponsor\":\"\"}"
  18. image => {"uri":"public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/bayarea\/2020\/05\/02\/thorntonbeardusatsi.jpg","alt":"thorntonbeardusatsi.jpg","title":"Sharks legend Joe Thornton shaves iconic beard with NHL season paused"}
  19. sponsor => ""
  20. region => "bayarea"
  21. fb_url => "https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dialog\/share?app_id=304476467003440&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fbayarea%2Fsharks%2Fsharks-legend-joe-thornton-shaves-iconic-beard-nhl-season-paused&display=popup"
  22. tw_url => "https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=Sharks%20legend%20Joe%20Thornton%20shaves%20iconic%20beard%20with%20NHL%20season%20paused&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fbayarea%2Fsharks%2Fsharks-legend-joe-thornton-shaves-iconic-beard-nhl-season-paused&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fbayarea%2Fsharks%2Fsharks-legend-joe-thornton-shaves-iconic-beard-nhl-season-paused"
  23. mailto => "mailto:?subject=Sharks%20legend%20Joe%20Thornton%20shaves%20iconic%20beard%20with%20NHL%20season%20paused&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fbayarea%2Fsharks%2Fsharks-legend-joe-thornton-shaves-iconic-beard-nhl-season-paused"
  24. tags_hide => []
  25. type => "article"
  26. meta => {"file":"\/mnt\/gfs\/rsnunited\/sites\/default\/files\/archive\/article\/bayarea\/sharks\/sharks-legend-joe-thornton-shaves-iconic-beard-nhl-season-paused.json","assets":["public:\/\/archive\/assets_article\/bayarea\/2020\/05\/02\/thorntonbeardusatsi.jpg"]}
  27. orig_image => {"uri":"public:\/\/2020\/05\/02\/thorntonbeardusatsi.jpg","alt":"thorntonbeardusatsi.jpg","title":"Sharks legend Joe Thornton shaves iconic beard with NHL season paused"}
  28. article_type => "article"
Sharks

Sharks

Joe Thornton made a drastic decision with the NHL season suspended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Sharks’ veteran center shaved his iconic beard.

Thornton is San Jose’s all-time assists leader, but the 40-year-old has become arguably more synonymous with his “lifestyle beard” in the last handful of seasons. He and teammate Brent Burns began growing beards during the 2015-16 season, and the beards became a staple for both players well beyond the 2015-16 Stanley Cup Final.

The two posed on the cover of the “Body Issue” for “ESPN: The Magazine” wearing, well, not much else outside of the beards.

Burns shaved Thornton’s beard at a team party ahead of the 2018-19 regular season, but Thornton missed his facial hair at practice the following morning.

“I regretted [shaving] as soon as it started hitting the floor,” Thornton told reporters on Oct. 28 at the Sharks' practice facility. “Hopefully it’ll grow back quickly.”

That it did.

[REALTED: Sharks reported 'front-runners' to sign top goalie prospect]

So when the Sharks next take the ice, Thornton probably is going to have plenty of facial hair in tow.

My vote? Thornton shouldn't shave again until he hangs up his skates for good. Although that could be a while if you listen to the man himself.