Joe Thornton is predictably at peace with the NHL's decision to omit him from its list of 100 Greatest Players.
"At the start, I was like, 'Ah, maybe I could be on there.' But once it came out, I live my life, or try to live, with no stress," Thornton told Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News on Monday.
"So as soon as it came out, it was like, 'Oh, you're not on it. OK, don't worry about it.'"
Of course, this is consistent for Thornton, unbothered and unwound, ostensibly with age, or at least since he began growing the stringy beard that matches his on-ice legend.
Thornton is 24th all time in points, and is on pace to crack the top 20 in history this season; he will exceed the 1,000-assist threshold this spring, a milestone only 12 others have accomplished; and he won the Hart Trophy in 2006 after the most productive season in the post-lockout era.
What Thornton doesn't have is a Stanley Cup, which, rightly or wrongly, clearly did factor in the selection process.
But he'll leave the speculation to those upset by the snub.
"For me, personally, it was just, 'Wow,' what a list it was. You read all of the names, and you're like, 'Wow, those are some powerful names.'
"But, no worries."
Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.