Thornton was drafted in the first round (third overall) by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He played thirty-three games for the team his rookie season, accumulating one goal and three assists. He also played left wing for the Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks. He was signed by San Jose as a free agent on July 1, 2000. In his first season with San Jose, he had a career year, scoring twenty goals playing alongside gritty centre Mike Ricci.
He signed a two-year contract $3.42 million contract extension in the 2003–04 season. The first season of the extension coincided with the 2004–05 NHL lockout, and after the second year, Thornton became an unrestricted free agent when the Sharks declined to pick up the one-year team option in his contract.[2] On July 1, 2006, he signed a 2-year, $3 million contract with the Los Angeles Kings.[3] During the 2006–07 season, Thornton was placed on injured reserve due to a wrist injury and missed 23 games as a result.[4]
Thornton announced his retirement on July 28, 2008.
^Elliott, Helene (July 2, 2006). "Blake to Return to the Kings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 2, 2018. The Kings also committed $3 million over two years to left wing Scott Thornton
