Sharks strip Joe Thornton of captaincy

Ever since the San Jose Sharks authored the most spectacular chapter in their long, sordid history of postseason fecklessness by blowing a 3-0 series lead to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, questions have abounded about Joe Thornton's status as the club's captain.

Questions have also abounded about Thornton's status as a San Jose Shark, but that's another matter ...

The decision has now apparently been made and Thornton will be stripped of the captaincy heading into training camp in September, per Kevin Kurz of CSNBayArea.com:

So Thornton is no longer San Jose's captain, but there isn't a replacement yet, either. The club will go into training camp with no set leadership group and the expectation that younger players like Joe Pavelski (who isn't actually young), Logan Couture and Marc-Edouard Vlasic might step into more prominent leadership roles next season.

Of course, it's also possible – albeit unlikely – that Thornton retains the C following training camp. Sharks coach Todd McLellan hinted that the door was open for such an outcome on Wednesday.

"We’re just cleaning the slate," McLellan explained per David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News. "Joe Thornton could end up being the captain. I don’t know. None of us know."

Thornton has worn the C for the Sharks since 2009. He replaced teammate Patrick Marleau as captain during the 2009-10 season, after Marleau was stripped of the captaincy following another disappointing showing by the Sharks during the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.