Kudos for Thorb’s dogged style

By: Tim Campbell Posted: 9:10 PM CDT Saturday, Apr. 11, 2015

Chris Thorburn generally does the mucky work for the Winnipeg Jets.

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Chris Thorburn generally does the mucky work for the Winnipeg Jets.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 11/04/2015 (3802 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Chris Thorburn generally does the mucky work for the Winnipeg Jets.

Given that job description, he’s had a big week.

The 31-year-old veteran right-winger had the only goal of the game in his team’s huge 1-0 win Tuesday in St. Louis.

David Lipnowski / Winnipeg Free Press
Jets forward Chris Thorburn: — David Lipnowski / Winnipeg Free Press Jets forward Chris Thorburn: "Our confidence is high, especially after yesterday's game and yeah, it's that belief that if we get in, we could do something special."

Saturday, he was named the recipient of the Dan Snyder Memorial Award, a trophy the Jets decided to keep alive when the franchise was relocated to Winnipeg in 2011.

It honours former NHLer Dan Snyder, who passed away in a tragic accident in 2003 when he was member of the Atlanta Thrashers. The award is given annually to the Jets player who embodies perseverance, dedication and hard work without reward or recognition, so his team and teammates might succeed.

Thorburn said after the Jets’ 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames Saturday he was humbled to have been selected.

“When I got to Atlanta, obviously it was still fresh,” Thorburn said. “I played with guys who had played with Dan. He, from what I understand and what I know and what I have heard, was just a great person in a great family, so to get this award, it’s an honour, for what it stands for and what it means.

“And just to keep his legacy going, because he was a special person and great player and a hard player and he was always there for his teammates…it’s an honour just to receive it.”

Thorburn, who finished the regular season with seven goals and 14 points, joins Mark Stuart, Zach Redmond and Bryan Little as Jets to receive the award in the Winnipeg era of the franchise.

Jets fans, already in a celebratory mood before Saturday’s game, certainly applauded the awards ceremony.

It saw Mathieu Perreault receive the team’s three-star award and Stuart named the recipient of the team’s community service award.

“All those awards, the fans are in that from start to finish,” Thorburn said. “We kind of expected that kind of thing after clinching a spot. We’ve got the playoffs coming and I’m sure it’ll just get better.”

Saturday’s was a tough game to play, given its lack of meaning in the standings, but tough games to play are right up Thorburn’s alley.

“It was great,” he smiled after the game. “It was loud. They’re excited. We’re excited. The city’s buzzing, and we’re going into the playoffs.

“We wanted to have a good feeling going into the playoffs and the win helps. It was a pretty tough game to play, ugly at times, but we came out with two points. Now we’re going to the dance.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca