""As long as I can remember, my year consisted of going from road hockey right to the backyard rink," Thornton said of his childhood in a tear-filled speech. "There was only one season for me -- it was hockey season.""
""Winning the gold medal in Vancouver in 2010 was truly electric," Thornton said. "I remember leaving the arena and I looked to my left, and I saw a naked woman on the back of a motorcycle waving a Canadian flag. "I looked to my pregnant wife, and I said, 'I am so proud to be Canadian.'""
Joe Thornton was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 player class alongside Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Alexander Mogilny, Jennifer Botterill and Brianna Decker. Thornton played 24 NHL seasons, recording 1,539 points in 1,714 regular-season games, finishing 12th all-time in scoring, seventh in assists and sixth in games played. Selected first overall in 1997 by the Boston Bruins, his career accelerated after a trade to the San Jose Sharks, where he spent 14 seasons, won the 2005-06 Hart Trophy and scoring title, led the league in assists three straight seasons, and helped the Sharks reach the 2016 Stanley Cup final. Thornton won Olympic gold with Canada in 2010.
Read at ESPN.com
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