Joey, Part II

It was hard not to feel a little sad after watching Joey Thornton’s introductory press conference as a member of the San Jose Sharks.

You could tell that he was still in shock, so to speak, after being traded from the Bruins. And though he said all the right things, it was his body language – the red eyes, the withdrawn look, droopy shoulders and forced smiles – that belied his true hurt feelings.

Those feelings, too, were felt throughout New England. Some people were upset. Some were livid. And some, including myself, were resigned that Joey’s departure, no matter how hard it was to fathom, may prove to be exactly what the team needed.

There was one comment that Joey made, though, that has stuck in my brain. To some degree, it has helped me get my arms around this deal. It came when he spoke about loving Boston and its fans – mainly that he grew up in Boston, coming to Beantown at the "tender" age of 18.

Looking back, we all watched Joey grow up. He arrived as a fuzz-faced kid, full of optimism and a ton of that dreaded word – potential. That potential grew into skill, as the boy became a young man. And that’s what Bruins fans must remember.

We need to think of Joey as our kid brother, our favorite nephew or grandson or the goofy kid who lived across the street. We’ve watched him grow up, but now it’s time for him to move on. Sure, we’ll see him from time to time, though not as often as we’d like, or in our favorite colors – Black and Gold.

In the meantime, it’s OK to think about him, wish him well, keep him in our prayers and, even, cheer for him and the Sharks (Think Ray Bourque and the Avs in 2001). Above all, Joey’s a part of Boston. And Boston will always be a part of Joey.