Jumbo Joe — the most productive centre of his generation who somehow never won a Stanley Cup.
Joseph Eric Thornton was born in London, Ontario in 1979. Boston Bruins selected him first overall in the 1997 NHL Draft. His 23-season career produced 430 goals and 1,109 assists for 1,539 career points — the seventh-highest total in NHL history. He won the Hart Trophy as MVP and the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion in 2006. He was selected to seven All-Star teams. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023. He is primarily a playmaker rather than scorer — his 1,109 assists are the fifth-highest total in NHL history. He was traded from Boston to San Jose in November 2005 — a trade considered a shock at the time — and became the cornerstone of multiple competitive Sharks teams that consistently reached the playoffs without winning a championship. He played professional hockey until age 41, having suffered multiple knee injuries in his later career. His partnership with Patrick Marleau and later Joe Pavelski at San Jose produced some of the most statistically productive lines in the modern NHL.
Hart Trophy (2006)
Career Honours
- Hart Trophy (2006)
- Art Ross Trophy (2006)
- Hall of Fame (2023)