It’s been whispered for a quite a while, but after today’s game, Scott Thornton confirmed that he’s strongly leaning toward retirement. He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and, at age 37, he said that while he still loves playing, the daily pains and aches of being a hockey player are just becoming too much to overcome.

“It’s not 100 percent,” Thornton said about his decision to retire, “but it’s probably as close as you can get to it. I’ve been trying to prepare myself for it. I think that’s the next step, to move on.”

Thornton got to enjoy a nice moment after the game. As the Kings skated out to give their jerseys to fans, Thornton’s wife, Joelle, was there to surprise him and accept the jersey from what will probably be his last game. It’s unfortunate that most fans probably weren’t aware of how nice a moment it was. I was standing near the end of the Kings’ bench and heard a couple people wonder aloud why that was happening.

“I had no idea she was going to be out there,” Thornton said. “She was kind of embarrassed. She’s been with me since juniors, and after all these years she finall you made it onto the ice.”

If he is indeed done, Thornton will finish with 17 NHL seasons, 941 games, 144 goals and 141 assists.

“I wish I could have won a Cup. I had an opportunity with Dallas,” Thornton said. “But I have no regrets. I walk away knowing that I made a lot of life-long friends, and I stayed true to myself and stayed grounded. I think I’m the same person I was when I started.”