Thorburn was a second-round pick (No. 50) of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2001 NHL Draft. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, native earned a reputation as a crash-and-bang forward who skates well enough to kill penalties and will do whatever his team needs.
Thorburn's first stay in the NHL lasted two games and 19 shifts. He made his NHL debut on Dec. 2, 2005, a 5-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Two days later, Thorburn assisted on the opening goal of Buffalo's 6-4 win against the Colorado Avalanche for his first NHL point in what would be his final game with the Sabres. After being sent back to the American Hockey League for the rest of the 2005-06 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed Thorburn on waivers prior to the 2006-07 season.
Thorburn was a second-round pick (No. 50) of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2001 NHL Draft. The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, native earned a reputation as a crash-and-bang forward who skates well enough to kill penalties and will do whatever his team needs.
Thorburn's first stay in the NHL lasted two games and 19 shifts. He made his NHL debut on Dec. 2, 2005, a 5-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Two days later, Thorburn assisted on the opening goal of Buffalo's 6-4 win against the Colorado Avalanche for his first NHL point in what would be his final game with the Sabres. After being sent back to the American Hockey League for the rest of the 2005-06 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins claimed Thorburn on waivers prior to the 2006-07 season.
During a 39-game run with the Penguins, Thorburn scored his first NHL goal as part of a two-point game against the Anaheim Ducks on Nov. 6, 2006. He also scored his first game-winning goal, against the New York Islanders, on Nov. 28, 2006. But when Pittsburgh traded Thorburn to the Atlanta Thrashers on June 22, 2007, he found a place where he could play every day.
Thorburn played 73 games in 2007-08. A gifted penalty-killer, he finished tied for fifth in the NHL with three shorthanded goals in 2009-10. The next season he led Thrashers forwards with 71 blocked shots, ranked third with 128 hits and scored his first power-play goal in the NHL on Oct. 15, 2010.
A free agent in 2014, Thorburn signed a three-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets. On Dec. 18, 2015, Thorburn played in his 595th game to surpass Ilya Kovalchuk for the most games played in Jets/Thrashers history.
Thorburn was claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft but became a free agent and signed with the St. Louis Blues on July 1, 2017.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Claimed on waivers by Pittsburgh from Buffalo, October 3, 2006.
- Traded to Atlanta by Pittsburgh for NY Rangers' 3rd round pick (previously acquired, Pittsburgh selected Robert Bortuzzo) in 2007 NHL Draft, June 22, 2007.
- Transferred to Winnipeg after Atlanta franchise relocated, June 21, 2011.
- Claimed by Vegas from Winnipeg in Expansion Draft, June 21, 2017.
- Signed as a free agent by St. Louis, July 1, 2017.
