Thornton finds a silver lining

VIENNA -- Unlike past playoff seasons, Joe Thornton didn't let his facial hair grow this time. Traditionally, National Hockey League players do something as a team to show unity during their postseason runs. In the case of the Bruins, usually it's not shaving.

But this is no ordinary year. The NHL didn't play, so Thornton, like so many others, went looking for work. After playing for Canada in the World Cup last fall, which earned him a gold medal, the Bruins' captain was on the winning side in the prestigious Spengler Cup and then helped Davos capture the Swiss Elite League title.

During Canada's run at the World Championships, which ended here Sunday night as the Czech Republic shut out the two-time defending champions by a 3-0 score, Thornton kept his hair short and his face clean-shaven. He had a fine tournament, finishing as the leading scorer with 16 points in nine games.

He has no plans to rush home to North America, because no one expects the protracted labor dispute between NHL owners and players to end soon. The NHL Players Association, in fact, cancelled player meetings that were scheduled for May 24-26 in Toronto, citing the lack of progress.

Instead, Thornton said, he'll head to Thailand with a couple of friends before flying back to join his family in St. Thomas, Ontario.

Canada's inability to repeat was tough for him, given the uncertainty hockey continues to face.

''We don't know what happens from here on in, we'll just have to wait and see, I guess," said Thornton. ''We wanted to win this. A lot of us said, `Who knows when hockey is going to start up again?' This was kind of our Stanley Cup this year."

As for his own future, he said he hasn't been dwelling on it. His linemate during the tournament, Simon Gagne, hinted that Thornton might be a good fit in Philadelphia, but Thornton wasn't biting.

''He wants me in Philly but I want to stay in Boston," said Thornton. ''Maybe we can all three [including Rick Nash of Columbus] join each other in Boston. I just live day by day now. We'll see what happens tomorrow. I don't have a contract for next year but [the Bruins] still have my rights."

He said it's too soon to speculate on whether he would spend another year in Davos, which he said he enjoyed immensely.

''I just hope the NHL starts next year and I get back to Boston," he said. ''It's just like this year. [Going back to Switzerland] is on the back burner, but I'm sure if nothing happens, I'll go back there and play. Hopefully [the NHL] starts next year because a lot of people miss hockey. I hope it's back. You never know until they both sign the deal."

To a man, the Canadian players said the lockout didn't play on their minds during the tournament. Now that the Worlds are over, that will certainly change.

''We need hockey next year, obviously," said defenseman Dan Boyle, who won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year. ''We can't go another year like this. Hopefully, things will get settled. Who knows?

''We tried not to talk about it. We tried not to focus on it at all. We wanted to keep it out of our minds. We were here to win the World Championships. Nothing else. On the way home, I'm sure we'll talk about it."

Boyle said his joy at being part of the defending Cup champions was muted considerably by the fact that there was no season.

''It's frustrating," he said. ''I didn't get to have the full effect of winning it. I didn't get to see the banner go up and all that stuff. I just felt a little cheated as far as experiencing the whole thing."

Defenseman Wade Redden, who plays for the Ottawa Senators, said he expects there will be plenty of speculation once the Canadian players return home.

''That's the next thing on the agenda," he said. ''To figure out what's going to happen for next season. Obviously, it's a big time when we get back to North America. We just have to figure that out."

Goaltender Martin Brodeur, the mainstay of the New Jersey Devils, doesn't believe this was necessarily a wasted year for him personally. He just can't imagine it going any longer than that.

''It's a tough situation for everybody," he said. ''That one year, I definitely didn't mind it. I enjoyed it. It was good for my sanity a little bit, but one year is enough."