The Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2025 featured plenty of Boston connections.
Aside from Zdeno Chara (Bruins) and Jack Parker (Boston University) being elected to the Hall of Fame, Joe Thornton also received the call.
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Thornton finished his 24-year long career with 430 goals, 1,109 assists in 1,714 games played across eight seasons with the Bruins, 15 with the San Jose Sharks and a season each with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers.
Thornton was selected first overall by the Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He was named captain of the team prior to the 2002-03 season.
While he became an integral part of the lineup, things soured between the two sides when Thornton became a restricted free agent when the NHL resumed in 2005-06 after the 2004-05 season-long lockout.
Thornton and the Bruins ultimately came to terms on a three-year deal in August before he was part of one of the most stunning trades in team history three months later.
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The Bruins traded Thornton to the Sharks in exchange for Wayne Primeau and defenseman Brad Stuart, Mike O’Connell and now-Bruins coach Marco Sturm.
“The Joe Thornton trade, I mean, it was not my fault, right?” Sturm joked at his introductory press conference earlier this month.
Thornton was named the Hart Trophy recipient as the NHL’s MVP for the 2005-06 season.
The NHL legend ranks 14th all-time in points, seventh in assists and sixth in games played. He’s just one of 14 players to reach the 1,000-assist mark and became the seventh player to play in 1,500 games with 1,000 helpers and at 400 goals.
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The Sharks decided to retire Thornton’s No. 12 in 2024. It was just the second time they retired a number — the first being Patrick Marleau in 2023.
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