The Oilers, who are ready for the Stanley Cup, made the announcement on their website. The former Storhamar and Djurgården (Sweden) player will presumably get a two-year contract. He has also played for EC Salzburg of Austria, Storhamar IL of the Norwegian Eliteserien and Morrum GolS.
Thoresen has represented Norway on the international stage as a member of his country's teams at both the IIHF World Championship and World Junior Championship. He was a member of Team Norway at the 2006 championships in Latvia and was named Norway's player-of-the-game in their loss to Canada.
Thoresen also played junior hockey in Canada, spending two seasons in the QMJHL with both Moncton and Baie Comeau.
Bjørn Skaare was Norway's first entry into the NHL, but he played only one match and got no contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Since then, Anders Myrvold, Espen Knutsen and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen have made the grade in the NHL.