Chris Thorburn (born June 3, 1983) is a
Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
former professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
right winger
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...
. He played over 800 games in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL). Thorburn was known for his physical play and capabilities as a fighter.
Early life
Thorburn was born on June 3, 1983, in
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie ( ) is a city in northern Ontario, Canada, on the north shore of the St. Mary's River directly across from its "twin city," Sault Ste. Marie, in the state of Michigan. The city's population was 72,051 at the 2021 census, makin ...
, Canada to parents Linda and Mark Thorburn.
He grew up in Ontario with two brothers and two sisters, along with numerous cousins from both sides of the family.
His first cousin Chrissy Colizza played for the
McGill Martlets ice hockey
The McGill Martlets ice hockey team represents McGill University, based in Montreal, Quebec in U Sports women's ice hockey. They are members of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) and have won four U Sports women's ice hockey champio ...
team between 2017 and 2023, a school which three of his uncles attended.
Playing career

Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Thorburn played most of his
minor ice hockey
Minor ice hockey or minor hockey is an umbrella term for amateur ice hockey which is played below the junior age level. Players are classified by age, with each age group playing in its own league. The rules, especially as it relates to body c ...
in the Sault Major Hockey Association (NOHA). He played in the 1997
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament
The Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament () is an annual minor ice hockey event in Quebec City. The tournament was founded in 1960 to coincide with the Quebec Winter Carnival, and give an opportunity for international competition to p ...
with a team from Sault Ste. Marie. He later played for the Soo Thunder Minor Bantam club before making the jump to Tier II Jr.A. hockey with the
Elliot Lake Vikings of the
NOJHL
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Junior ice hockey league with eleven teams in Northeastern Ontario and Upper Michigan. The league is a constituent member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) and is governed by the N ...
. After an impressive season as a 15-year-old in the NOJHL, Thorburn was selected in the first round (6th overall) as an underage by the
North Bay Centennials
The North Bay Centennials were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, who played from 1982–2002. The team was based in North Bay, Ontario, Canada.
History
The North Bay Centennials or "Cents" as they were popularly known, were na ...
in the 1999 OHL Priority Selection. By 2019, he was the last North Bay Centennials player to be an active player in the NHL.
He was drafted 50th overall by the
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...
in the
2001 NHL entry draft. However, after returning to the OHL for the 2001–2002 season, the Centennials were sold to Saginaw and he split his season between the Saginaw Spirit and the Plymouth Whalers. On December 2, 2005, Thorburn made his NHL debut in 5-0 loss to the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...
and recorded his first career NHL point the following game against the
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
.
He was returned to American Hockey League on December 7, after playing in two games.
On October 3, 2006, Thorburn was claimed off waivers by the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...
. He recorded his first career NHL goal on November 6, 2006, in a 3–2 overtime loss against the
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confere ...
. After one season with the Penguins, Thorburn was traded to the
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL sea ...
for a third-round pick in the
2007 NHL entry draft.

Enjoying a career year during the
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
season and in his fourth year with the Thrashers, Thorburn was signed to a three-year contract extension on February 26, 2011. On June 30, 2014, the Winnipeg Jets re-signed Thorburn to a three-year, $3.6 million contract extension.
On June 21, 2017, as an impending free agent from the Jets, he was left exposed and claimed by the
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Golden Knights compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division ...
in the
2017 NHL expansion draft
The 2017 NHL expansion draft was an expansion draft conducted by the National Hockey League on June 18–20, 2017 to fill the roster of the league's expansion team for the 2017–18 season, the Vegas Golden Knights. The team's selections were an ...
. For selecting Thorburn the Jets traded their first-round pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft and a third-round pick in the
2019 NHL entry draft in exchange for Columbus' first-round pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft which was previously acquired by the Golden Knights.
Although being selected by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft, Thorburn would become a free agent. On July 1, 2017, he signed a two-year, $1.8 million deal with the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
.
In the
2018–19 season, Thorburn made one appearance with the Blues before he was placed on waivers and re-assigned to AHL affiliate, the
San Antonio Rampage
The San Antonio Rampage were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. The Rampage was primarily owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment throughout the team's existence. In 2020, the franchise was so ...
, for the majority of the campaign. Thorburn was later recalled by the Blues, and despite not playing he was a part of the extended roster in the playoffs as the Blues claimed their first
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
in franchise history.
Thorburn announced his retirement on June 22, 2020, via a written statement released by the
NHLPA. In an NHL career that spanned from 2006 to 2019, Thorburn scored 134 points in 801 career NHL games.
Personal life
Thorburn is married to Sara Thorburn and they have two children together. After their oldest child was diagnosed with autism, the couple began organizing fundraisers to raise money for
special education
Special education (also known as special-needs education, aided education, alternative provision, exceptional student education, special ed., SDC, and SPED) is the practice of educating students in a way that accommodates their individual di ...
programs at schools. In 2018, they raised $20,000 towards their son's local special needs teacher at Flynn Park Elementary School.
Career statistics
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorburn, Chris
1983 births
Atlanta Thrashers players
Buffalo Sabres draft picks
Buffalo Sabres players
Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States
Canadian ice hockey right wingers
Living people
North Bay Centennials players
Pittsburgh Penguins players
Plymouth Whalers players
Rochester Americans players
Saginaw Spirit players
San Antonio Rampage players
Ice hockey people from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
St. Louis Blues players
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players
Winnipeg Jets players
21st-century Canadian sportsmen