Shortly after signing a four-year, $7.2 million deal with the San Jose Sharks, Adam Burish wasted no time in talking up his soon-to-be meal ticket, Joe Thornton.
In speaking with David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News, Burish popped off at Jumbo Joe’s critics:
“I don’t know what’s missing, but if I were on the Sharks and I had to listen to everybody rag on Joe Thornton in the playoffs, that would piss me off because he’s one of the best players in the league. He’s so hard to play against.
“Hopefully I can get in there and give him a little excitement, too, and let him know from an outsider coming in, you are one of the best players in the league and forget all those writers and media people who are bothering you. I’m going to help you win the Stanley Cup because you deserve it.”
Burish’s role in San Jose is expected to be similar to the one he had with Chicago -- namely, running around and yapping at anybody that messed with a star player (ie: Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane or Marian Hossa.)
That said, it’s not as if Burish is all talk. He fought a career-high 16 times in 2007-08 -- which, not coincidentally, was Kane’s and Toews’ rookie year -- and will bring an edge to the Sharks that’s been missing in previous seasons.