Henry Thrun was immersed in the movie 'Top Gun' when his phone lit up with a call from San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier. The Toronto Maple Leafs had just acquired the defenseman for Ryan Reaves.
"It was definitely surprising, but as soon as he told me where I was traded, it was definitely a nice way to for that phone call to wrap up," Thrun said on Monday afternoon over Zoom.
"Knowing I was going to a city like Toronto and just knowing the history and the success that the team has had over the past couple years, with the end goal still in sight, and there's more to push for. But it definitely was pretty exciting to know where I was going to end up."
Thrun grew up in Southborough, Massachusetts, less than an hour outside of Boston. Knowing the history of the Boston Bruins and Maple Leafs, the 24-year-old's smile grew larger when he revealed he was a Bruins fan as a child.
"As much as I hate to say it, I was a Bruins fan growing up," Thrun grinned. "Having that market nearby and just being a big fan of the sport, it was hard not to cheer for them."
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As a defenseman, his favorite player was Bruins legend Zdeno Chara.
"He's a guy that I've been fortunate enough to meet and actually skate with (during a summer skate several years ago)," the young defenseman said, "and just someone that's a first-class human, first-class player. He was a guy that I was always a fan of growing up."
Funny enough, Thrun's first NHL goal came against the Maple Leafs. It's comical to think that, as a Bruins fan growing up, he got the upper hand on Toronto as soon as he entered the league. And it's a goal that Thrun remembers quite well, of course.
It was on Jan. 9, 2024, that Toronto was leading 4-0 in the second period when Simon Benoit hooked Anthony Duclair. San Jose's power play coach told Thrun that he'd be going out for the man advantage. Mikael Granlund threw a pass in front, and the defenseman deflected it past Martin Jones to make it 4-1.
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Although the Sharks ended up falling 7-1 that night in Toronto, it's a moment Thrun won't ever forget. "It's a pretty exciting moment scoring your first NHL goal, especially being in a city like Toronto," he said.
Thrun turned pro after three seasons at Harvard University, where the defenseman put up 84 points (17 goals and 67 assists) in 99 games. It was four years after he was drafted in the fourth round (101st overall) by the Anaheim Ducks in 2019.
Throughout parts of three seasons with the Sharks, Thrun scored 25 points (five goals and 20 assists), but never managed to break out offensively like he did throughout his junior and college years.
While the defenseman received lots of opportunities, averaging 18:44 of ice time throughout his short NHL career, having to be on the defending side for most of the time suppressed any opportunity to showcase what has made him a strong player in the past.
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Thrun's excited to work for that opportunity now with Toronto, a team that's been knocking at the door for some time.
"I think for me, an aspect of my game that hasn't really shined yet in terms of at the NHL level would be my ability to move the puck. That was sort of my calling card in junior and college," he said.
"I think playing in San Jose, I was very fortunate to get a chance to break in there and play a bunch of games, and play a lot of minutes. But, at times, I think it's a little challenging to be put in positions to move the puck and get involved, and obviously there's a lot of defending, which I was able to get some experience with that.
"But, for me, I'd say I'm excited to be a two-way defenseman. I think I'm reliable in most situations on the ice. I think that's one of my best assets is being versatile and being able to be used in special teams and up and down throughout a lineup, so for me, there's a lot that I want to still be able to show and prove."
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Timothy Liljegren arrived in San Jose in early November after being acquired by the Sharks from Toronto on Halloween night. Thrun and Liljegren got to know each other quite a bit while with the Sharks, with Thrun adding that they "basically lived in the same building."
Liljegren shared a lot with Thrun about what it was like playing in Toronto, from the organization to the fans, and the entire city. Little did Thrun know that he'd be traded to the mecca of hockey several months later. Nevertheless, he's excited about the new opportunity at hand.
"I got to hear a little bit about Toronto, just how passionate the fans are and how first-class of an organization it is, so it's something that I've only heard good things, and I'm excited to see it all first-hand and experience it."
(Top photo of Thrun: Robert Edwards / Imagn Images)
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