This Week In Bruins History: Shipping Out Jumbo Joe

On November 30, 2005 one of the biggest trades in Boston Bruins history went down. Joe Thornton had just signed a three year $20 million contract, but not long after re-signing his career as a Bruins would be cut short. The Bruins were struggling to climb up the standings and general manager Mike O'Connell decided it was time to make a drastic changes. O'Connell pulled the trigger on one of the most questionable and mystifying trades of not on Bruins history but league history as well by trading their super star away to the west coast.

Joe Thornton packed his bags and flew to his new home in San Jose. The Bruins got Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau and Marco Sturm in return for Thornton. O'Connell decided he wanted to build the team around rising star Patrice Bergeron instead of already proven superstar Thornton. The only player that the Bruins received that stuck around for a significant amount of time was Sturm.

The Thornton trade at the time seemed like one of the top worst time trades of all time and it may still be. It is unknown if Jumbo Joe would have brought the Bruins to the promise land if he was never traded. However since the Bruins sent him packing, Thornton has had success, but doesn't have a cup on his resume. To whatever extent of whether or not O'Connell was crazy or not for trading Thornton away, the Bruins not long after raised their sixth banner into the rafters without the need for Joe Thornton's services.