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

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.

Burns had a little fun with it.

Later, CSN Bay Area’s Brodie Brazil, with some encouragement from Burns, provided us with a re-enactment:

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:

The 2008 Sharks’ video Christmas card:

Last season’s playoffs:

Thornton has even brought on Logan Couture as a protege:

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 puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy