Through 24 NHL seasons, Joe Thornton's consistently exhibited extraordinary playmaking ability that led the personable ‘Jumbo Joe’ to be regarded as one of the NHL’s premier centres.

Joe was born July 2, 1979 in London, Ontario, and was raised in nearby St. Thomas where he first played minor hockey. Although his nickname, ‘Jumbo Joe,’ reflected his stature, it was also a nod to Jumbo the elephant that was part of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. In 1885, Jumbo died in a train accident in Thornton’s hometown and there is a well-known statue commemorating the elephant in St. Thomas.

Joe starred with the St. Thomas Stars, a Junior ‘B’ team that won the Western Ontario Junior Hockey League (WOJHL) championship in 1994-95. That season, Thornton finished fourth in league scoring with 104 points and was named Rookie of Year as a 15-year-old. His exploits drew attention, and in the 1995 OHL Priority Selection, Thornton was selected second overall by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League and played two seasons with the team. In 1995-96, Joe was named to the OHL’s First Team All-Rookie Team, the CHL All-Rookie Team, was named OHL Rookie of the Year as well as the CHL’s Rookie of the Year. In his second season, Thornton finished second in OHL scoring with 122 points, was named both an OHL and CHL Second Team All-Star as well as a CHL Top Draft Prospect.

There was little surprise when the Boston Bruins drafted Joe 1st overall in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He played eight seasons with the Bruins beginning in 1997-98, was appointed captain of the club from 2002-03 to 2004-05 and led Boston in scoring three times, including 101 points in 2002-03. That season, he was named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team played in the NHL All-Star Game.

Much of the hockey world was surprised when the Bruins star was traded to San Jose Sharks on November 30, 2005, but Joe continued to flourish there, playing 15 seasons with the Sharks from 2005-06 to 2019-20. In his first season with San Jose, a season split between the Bruins and Sharks, Thornton led the NHL in scoring with 125 points to win Art Ross Trophy and was also the Hart Trophy recipient that season. Thornton was the first player in League history to win the scoring title after being traded mid-season. Joe was designated either the captain or alternate captain in every season while with the Sharks, including captain from 2010-11 to 2013-14.

Joe Thornton of the Florida Panthers is ready for a faceoff during a NHL game on January 8, 2022, in North Carolina. (Stan Gilliland | HHOF-IIHF)

Alternate Captain Thornton celebrates scoring a goal with teammates of the San Jose Sharks during the first period. (Rusty Barton | HHOF-IIHF)

The accolades are plentiful for Thornton. He was only the third player in NHL history to lead the League in assists three consecutive seasons. He led San Jose in scoring eight times, including five consecutive seasons and helped lead the Sharks to the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. Thornton was named to the NHL’s First All-Star Team in 2005-06 and also on the Second All-Star Team in 2015-16.

As a free agent, Joe Thornton joined the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2020-21 and followed with one season with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22 before retiring on October 28, 2023. His regular season career totals are 1,714 games played, scoring 430 goals and assisting on 1,109 others for 1,539 points. He finished 12th all-time in scoring, 7th all-time in assists and 6th all-time in games played. Joe added 187 NHL playoff games played, with 32 goals, 102 assists and 134 points.

In international competitions, Thornton was a member of Team Canada at the 1997 World Junior Championship, winning Gold. He later joined Team Canada at the 2001 and 2005 World Championships, winning Silver in 2005 and leading that tournament in scoring while being named Tournament All-Star and Most Valuable Player. Joe was also a member of Team Canada at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympic Games, taking the Gold in 2010. As a member of Team Canada, Joe won both the 2004 and 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

During the NHL lockout in 2004-05, Thornton joined HC Davos of the Swiss National League. He led the Swiss league in playoff scoring, was named the Most Valuable Player and Davos won the league championship. Joe and HC Davos won the Spengler Cup in 2005.

Joe Thornton was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012 as a member of the 2010 Olympic Team. The arena in St. Thomas was renamed the Joe Thornton Community Centre in his honour in 2018. Joe’s junior team, the Sault Ste. Mario Greyhounds, retired his number ‘19’ in 2023 and the San Jose Sharks retired his number ‘19’ in 2024. 2025 was a momentous year for Thornton: he was named to the NHL Quarter Century Team and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Player Category.