When it comes to rooting interest, sometimes it’s about the lesser of two evils.
Only Joe Thornton knows how much bitterness he holds toward the Bruins and Boston market in general, but apparently his dislike of the Vancouver Canucks was much greater. Thornton told CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty that he rooted for the B’s during the 2011 Stanley Cup finals.
“I was actually cheering for them in the Final,” Thornton said. “After losing against Chicago and then seeing Chicago hoist it up it would have been hard to see Vancouver do that too. I was cheering for them and I still have a lot of friends over there – so I was happy for them.”
Thornton’s allegiance makes a lot of sense. In a way, it makes me think of how the Chicago Blackhawks pick their rivals. Longtime fans get their blood boiling for the Detroit Red Wings, but the actual Blackhawks developed a deeper dislike for the Vancouver Canucks after three playoff series.
Just because Jumbo Joe was happy for former teammates (and fast friend Milan Lucic) in Boston doesn’t mean that he won’t try to get a little on-ice revenge against his former team tonight. Still, it’s interesting to imagine Thornton rooting for the team that once traded him.