"Listen, I feel awful. It wasn’t my intention. I know Brooksy, I’ve gotten to know him over the last 7 years here, I skate with him in the summer, through the lockout. I’ve texted him a couple of times. I definitely feel awful. It was not what I wanted to see or what anyone wanted to see.""Obviously, I made a mistake. I’m aware of it. I’ve been told that I’ll be having a hearing and it’s hard for me to say much more other than that was not my intention. I feel awful and felt sick all game," Thornton said.
"That’s always my job, I guess, to defend my teammates, but I’ve prided myself for a long time to stay within the lines, and like I said, it’s hard for me to talk about right now. I can’t say I’m sorry enough, and I’m sure I’ll be criticized for saying it, but it’s true. I, I just hope he’s doing alright. I heard that he’s conscious and talking, and I’m happy to hear that."