Jumbo Joe is officially immortal.
Joe Thornton joined an elite group Monday night as the Hockey Hall of Fame welcomed its 2025 class, headlined by the big-bodied playmaker alongside Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Alexander Mogilny, Jennifer Botterill and Brianna Decker in the player category. Jack Parker and Danièle Sauvageau were enshrined as builders, with Sauvageau making history as the first woman builder inducted into the Hall.
Thornton always marched to his own beat. The St. Thomas, Ontario native with elite vision, soft hands and a personality that filled every room he entered never apologized for being himself. Drafted first overall by Boston in 1997, his career truly exploded after landing in San Jose, where he spent 14 seasons terrorizing opposing defenses.
"As long as I can remember, my year consisted of going from road hockey right to the backyard rink," Thornton said through tears. "There was only one season for me: it was hockey season."
The numbers tell the story. Thornton won the scoring title and Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2005-06, becoming just the third player ever to lead the NHL in assists three consecutive seasons. Over 24 NHL campaigns, he racked up 1,539 points in 1,714 regular-season games, finishing 12th all-time in scoring, seventh in assists and sixth in games played. He helped San Jose reach the 2016 Stanley Cup final and captured Olympic gold with Canada in 2010 on home ice.
"You can't say enough amazing things about him," said Auston Matthews, who played alongside Thornton in Toronto. "He's a one-of-one kind of guy."
Chara's journey took a different path. Drafted by the Islanders in 1996, the towering defenseman found his calling in Boston after a stop in Ottawa. The six-foot-nine captain spent 14 seasons with the Bruins, leading them to the Cup in 2011 and two other final appearances.
"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."
The second European captain to hoist the Cup, Chara won the Norris Trophy in 2009 and competed at three Olympics and seven world championships before finishing his career back with the Islanders.
Keith built a dynasty in Chicago. The Winnipeg native won three Cups with the Blackhawks (2010, 2013, 2015), claimed two Olympic golds for Canada, captured two Norris Trophies and earned the Conn Smythe in 2015 as playoff MVP.
"You can't chase a dream alone," Keith said. "And you can never lift the Cup or wear a gold medal on your own."
On the women's side, Botterill dominated international competition with three Olympic golds and a silver across four Games for Canada. The Winnipeg product also captured five world championship titles and won MVP honours in 2001.
Decker brought home gold at the 2018 Olympics with Team USA along with two silvers. The Wisconsin native also won six world championships during her decorated career.
"Hockey has given me so much," Decker said. "It's given me lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories, and now this incredible honour."
Sauvageau made history as the Hall's first female builder. The Montreal native has been part of six Olympics for Canada, including coaching the country to gold in 2002. She currently serves as general manager of the PWHL's Montreal Victoire.
"I dreamt of a life that did not exist," she said. "And I have lived a life that I could not imagine."
Parker spent four decades leading Boston University's men's program, winning three national championships and earning NCAA coach of the year honours three times between 1973 and 2013.
Mogilny, who skipped the week's festivities, defected from the Soviet Union in 1989 and went on to post 76 goals and 127 points with Buffalo in 1992-93, the most ever by a Soviet/Russian player. He won the Cup with New Jersey in 2000, finishing his career with 1,032 points in 990 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."
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