Brief history of Joe Thornton's fondness for going shirtless (Photos)

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Colin Dunlap / Twitter Joe Thornton and Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks spent their day off walking around the city of Pittsburgh ahead of their game Thursday night against the Penguins.

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As captured by a friend of Pittsburgh radio host Colin Dunlap, the pair of bearded hockey players certainly stuck out a bit among the public, especially when you consider what Thornton wasn’t wearing.

All credit to @wjwhite4 — a sneak shot savage, personal protector to the stars and HS football legend for this pic of Sharks guys. pic.twitter.com/x7NPUka3LY
— Colin Dunlap (@colin_dunlap) October 19, 2016
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Burns had a little fun with it.

@colin_dunlap tiny creepy and shouldn't be on phone while driving BUT I respect the photo skills! 19looks like he just got off the bench! Ha
— Brent Burns (@Burnzie88) October 19, 2016
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Later, CSN Bay Area’s Brodie Brazil, with some encouragement from Burns, provided us with a re-enactment:

I think this is @brodiebrazilCSN and @AubriBrownClub walking in Pittsburgh… pic.twitter.com/axHFxR7BHw
— Brent Burns (@Burnzie88) October 19, 2016
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Now, being topless is kind of Thornton’s thing. A shirtless Jumbo is usually captured not in the wild, but in hockey arenas across North America. Take for example:
During the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs:

YouTube The 2008 Sharks’ video Christmas card:

Sharks / YouTube Last season’s playoffs:

Bay Area News Group / YouTube Thornton has even brought on Logan Couture as a protege:

Nice towel placement. #HNIC #ShirtlessSharks pic.twitter.com/PdJVJ5SIwW
— Christine Simpson (@SNChrisSimpson) May 20, 2016
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In a fan Q&A on the Sharks website in 2010, Thornton revealed the simple reason why he enjoys being half-naked all the time.
“I think because I sweat so much, I just can’t wait to take off my shirt. So I think it’s because I perspire so much.”
Thornton’s appreciation for his body actually brought about change in the Sharks’ locker room, as his cousin Scott, a former NHLer himself, told Sports Illustrated in June.
“Joe’s the reason we got bathrobes in San Jose. After a game he’d be doing interviews naked or he’d have a jock strap on, innocent things for him, so they went out and bought us official San Jose Sharks bathrobes.”
This is why we love Thornton. He’s comfortable in his own skin, especially when shirtless. Now, if he’s ever able to score four goals in a game…

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy