- Born: February 4, 1933 in Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Brother: Barry Thornson
- Position: Center & Coach
Thornson spent almost his entire professional hockey career with the Fort Wayne Komets of the International Hockey League. He was the league all-time leading scorer before Jock Callander broke his record in 2000.
Career Statistics[]
Playing[]
Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
1950-51 | Winnipeg Canadiens | MJHL | 34 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 15 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
1951-52 | St. Boniface Canadiens | MJHL | 36 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
1952-53 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
St. Boniface Canadiens | MJHL | 34 | 25 | 26 | 51 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | |||
Memorial Cup | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 16 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 6 | ||||
1953-54 | New Westminster Royals | WHL | 61 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
1954-55 | Shawinigan Falls Cataracts | QHL | 27 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
1955-56 | Winnipeg Warriors | WHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
Shawinigan Falls Cataracts | QHL | 47 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
1956-57 | Indianapolis Chiefs | IHL | 34 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 9 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
Huntington Hornets | IHL | 22 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | |||
1957-58 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 64 | 34 | 47 | 81 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 | ||
1958-59 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 58 | 30 | 73 | 103 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 0 | ||
1959-60 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 67 | 36 | 71 | 107 | 6 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | ||
1960-61 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 52 | 35 | 64 | 99 | 6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
1961-62 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 67 | 32 | 90 | 122 | 14 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
1962-63 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 70 | 32 | 83 | 115 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 4 | ||
1963-64 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 67 | 37 | 71 | 108 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 0 | ||
1964-65 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 67 | 41 | 52 | 93 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 0 | ||
1965-66 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 66 | 36 | 69 | 105 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | ||
1966-67 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 71 | 46 | 93 | 139 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 4 | ||
1967-68 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 68 | 38 | 59 | 97 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 0 | ||
1968-69 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 46 | 15 | 35 | 50 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
Coaching[]
Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | League | Type | GP | W | L | T | Pts | Finish | GP | W | L | Results | ||
1968-69 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | Head | 72 | 24 | 33 | 15 | 63 | 5th | 6 | 1 | 5 | Lost Semi |
Awards & Achievements[]
- MJHL Second All-Star Team (1953)
- Turnbull Cup Manitoba Junior Hockey League Championship (1953)
- Abbott Cup Western Canada Junior A Hockey Championship (1953)
- Quebec Hockey League Championship (1955)
- IHL Second All-Star Team (1958, 1962, 1963, & 1968)
- IHL First All-Star Team (1959, 1961, 1964, & 1967)
- IHL MVP (1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967, & 1968)
- IHL Scoring Champion (1962, 1964, & 1967), setting League Record in 1967
- International Hockey League Championships (1963 & 1965)
- “Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame