Thornton ‘a little surprised' by Thomas' departure

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There's one thing Shawn Thornton wants to make clear about his (apparently) ex-teammate, Tim Thomas.

"I think he did a lot for this city and a lot for this Bruins organization, and everyone should be thankful for what he brought to the table for the last couple of years," Thornton told Mike Giardi Monday on SportsNet Central. "Because we wouldn't have won without him."

Still, Thornton admits he was surprised by Thomas' indication that he won't play for the Bruins in 2012-13.

"A little bit," he admitted. "I don't talk to him on a daily basis -- I haven't talked to him since the season ended -- so I really didn't know where his head was at. But, yeah, I was a little surprised, but, you know, to each his own."

But, he added: "I'd rather somebody came with their heart and head into it instead of just going through the motions and collecting a paycheck, which I don't think anybody would be happy with, either."

As for Thomas' heir apparent, Tuukka Rask, Thornton joked, "Can't really give an opinion on what the crazy Finn's thinking." But he seemed comfortable with the notion of Rask as the No. 1 goaltender.

"He's always happy and upbeat," Thornton said. "Knowing Tuukka's personality, I think he'll just try to take the reins and run with them."

The full interview:

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