Joe Thornton always did things his way.
Larger than life on the ice and away from the rink, the big forward with a radiating personality, elite vision, soft hands and a sparkling smile has been unapologetically unique ever since stepping 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 alongside fellow 2025 class members Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Alexander Mogilny, Jennifer Botterill and Brianna Decker in the player category.
Jack Parker and Danièle Sauvageau were enshrined as builders.
Selected with the first pick at the 1997 draft by the Boston Bruins, Thornton’s trajectory really took off after a trade to the San Jose Sharks. The St. Thomas, Ont., product spent 14 seasons in California, winning the scoring title and Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2005-06, and was just the third player all-time to lead the NHL in assists three straight campaigns.
“As long as I can remember, my year consisted of going from road hockey right to the backyard rink,” Thornton said in a tear-filled speech. “There was only one season for me — it was hockey season.
Thornton topped San Jose in scoring eight times, including five straight seasons, and helped the Sharks make the 2016 Stanley Cup final.
The 46-year-old, who played 24 NHL seasons and won Olympic gold with Canada on home soil in 2010, put up 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 finished 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 one-of-one kind of guy … honoured to have played 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 played 14 seasons in Beantown — all as captain — from 2006 through 2020. The Bruins won the Cup in 2011 and made the final two other times.
The second European captain to hoist hockey’s holy grail, Chara competed at three Olympics and seven world championships. He captured the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenceman in 2009, and finished his career with the Washington Capitals before returning to the Islanders.
“Growing up in small town in Slovakia — Trencin — you don’t dream about nights like this,” Chara said. “You dream about a patch of ice that doesn’t melt before we finish practice. You dream about finding a stick that’s not broken or skates that can still fit for 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 topping the podium again in 2014, twice claimed the Norris Trophy and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2015. Keith played one campaign with the Edmonton Oilers before retiring in 2022.
“You can’t chase a dream alone,” he said. “And you can never lift the Cup or wear a gold medal on your own. You lift it with everybody that ever lifted you.”
Botterill played for Canada at four Olympics, winning three gold medals and a silver. The Winnipeg product was part of five championship performances and three second-place finishes at the worlds, including taking MVP honours in 2001.
“My parents said they always knew that the sport of hockey was something special,” said the 46-year-old broadcaster. “Every time I was on the ice playing, they said they could see my smile through the cage. I carried that very same smile throughout my entire career.”
Decker won gold at the 2018 Olympics with the U.S. and owns two silver medals. The 34-year-old forward from Dousman, Wis., also won the worlds six times along with a couple second-place finishes.
“Hockey has given me so much,” Decker said. “It’s given me lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories, and now this incredible honour.”
The 63-year-old Sauvageau has taken part in six Olympics either behind the bench or in management for Canada, including the country’s 2002 run to gold as head coach. The Montreal-born trailblazer — the Hall’s first female builder — is currently general manager of the Professional Women’s Hockey League’s Victoire in her hometown.
“I dreamt of a life that did not exist,” she said. “And I have lived a life that I could not imagine.”
Parker, 80, led Boston University’s men’s program from 1973 through 2013, winning three national championships. The Somerville, Mass., native was also named NCAA coach of the year three times.
Mogilny, who skipped the week of celebrations, defected from the Soviet Union to the United States in 1989. He set career-highs with 76 goals and 127 points with the 1992-1993 Buffalo Sabres — the most ever by a Soviet/Russian player.
The 56-year-old hoisted the Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2000 in a career that included stints with the Leafs and Vancouver Canucks, finishing with 1,032 points in 990 regular-season games.
“I’m overwhelmed with gratitude,” Mogilny said in a recorded message. “Not just for this honour, but for the incredible journey that brought me here.”
