Joe Thornton always did things his way.
A larger-than-life forward on and off the ice with a big personality, elite vision, soft hands and a sparkling smile, the big forward has been unapologetically unique since he stepped into the NHL spotlight at age 18.
Now the man affectionately known as “Jumbo Joe” is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Thornton was inducted Monday along with fellow 2025 class members Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Alexander Mogilny, Jennifer Botterill and Brianna Decker in the player category.
Jack Parker and Daniel Sauvageau were credited as builders.
Selected first overall in the 1997 draft by the Boston Bruins, Thornton's trajectory really took off after being traded to the San Jose Sharks. The St. Thomas, Ontario native spent 14 seasons in California, winning the scoring title and Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2005-06, and became only the third player in NHL history to lead the NHL in assists in three consecutive campaigns.
“For as long as I can remember, my year consisted of going from road hockey straight to the backyard skating rink,” Thornton said in a tearful speech. “There was only one season for me – hockey.
WATCH | 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame Class Induction Speeches:
Thornton led San Jose in scoring eight times, including five straight seasons, and helped the Sharks reach the 2016 Stanley Cup Final.
The 46-year-old, who played 24 seasons in the NHL and won Olympic gold with Canada on home soil in 2010, scored 1,539 points in 1,714 regular-season games in a career that ended with pit stops with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. He ranked 12th all-time in scoring, seventh in assists and sixth in games played.
“You can’t say enough amazing things about him,” Leafs captain Auston Matthews said over the weekend. “He's a unique guy… it's an honor to play with him, call him a friend.”
Chara, 48, was drafted by the New York Islanders in 1996 and traded to the Ottawa Senators in 2001 before his career took off after signing with Boston.
The six-foot-nine blueliner spent 14 seasons in Beantown — all as captain — from 2006 to 2020. The Bruins won the Cup in 2011 and reached the finals two more times.
Second European captain to win the Stanley Cup
The second European captain to lift the Holy Grail of hockey, Chara competed in three Olympic Games and seven World Championships. He won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman in 2009 and retired with the Washington Capitals before returning to the Islanders.
“You grow up in the small Slovak town of Trencin and you don’t dream of nights like this,” Chara said. “You dream of a piece of ice that won't melt before we finish training. You dream of finding a whole stick or skates that will last a couple of years.”
Keith played 16 seasons with Chicago, winning the Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015. The 42-year-old Winnipeg native won Olympic gold for Canada in 2010 before making the podium again in 2014, winning the Norris Trophy twice and being awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2015. Prior to this, Keith spent one season with the Edmonton Oilers. retirement in 2022.
“You can’t chase a dream alone,” he said. “And you can never lift the Cup or wear the gold medal alone. You lift it with everyone who has ever lifted you.”
Botterill competed for Canada in four Olympic Games, winning three gold medals and one silver. The Winnipeg product has made five championship appearances and finished second at the World Championships three times, including earning MVP honors in 2001.
“My parents said they always knew hockey was something special,” the 46-year-old broadcaster said. “Every time I played on the ice, they said they could see my smile through the cage. I carried the same smile throughout my entire career.”
Decker won gold at the 2018 Olympics for the United States and has two silver medals. The 34-year-old forward from Dausman, Wis., has also won the World Championship six times and finished runner-up a couple of times.
“Hockey has given me so much,” Decker said. “It has given me lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories, and now this incredible honor.”
“I dreamed of a life that didn't exist”
Sauvageau, 63, has competed in six Olympic Games either as a bench or coach for Team Canada, including the country's 2002 gold as head coach. The pioneering Montrealer—the Hall's first female builder—is currently the general manager of the Victoire Club of the Women's Professional Hockey League in her hometown.
“I dreamed of a life that didn't exist,” she said. “And I lived a life I could never have imagined.”
Parker, 80, led the Boston University men's program from 1973 to 2013, winning three national championships. The Somerville, Massachusetts native was also named NCAA Coach of the Year three times.
Mogilny, who missed a week of celebrations, fled the Soviet Union for the United States in 1989. He set career highs with 76 goals and 127 points with the Buffalo Sabers in 1992-93, the most ever by a Soviet-Russian player.
The 56-year-old won the Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2000, scoring 1,032 points in 990 regular-season games during a career that included stints with the Leafs and Vancouver Canucks.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude,” Mogilny said in a recorded message. “Not only for this honor, but for the incredible journey that brought me here.”
