Joe Thornton, Canadian ice hockey player
Joseph Eric Thornton (born July 2, 1979) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs. He was selected first overall by the Bruins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft and went on to play seven seasons with the club, three as its captain. During the 2005–06 season, he was traded to the Sharks. Splitting the campaign between the two teams, he received the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's leading point-scorer and most valuable player, respectively. Thornton would go on to another 14 seasons with the Sharks, including four seasons as team captain and a run to the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals.
Thornton's on-ice vision, strength on the puck, deft passing ability and power forward style of play have led to him becoming one of the league's premier top line centres. He is widely regarded as one of the best passers of all-time, and is one of only 13 players in history with 1,000 NHL assists. His nickname "Jumbo Joe" is a nod to his large stature and to Jumbo the elephant who famously died in St. Thomas, Ontario, where Thornton was raised.Following the retirements of Bartolo Colon, Vince Carter, and Adam Vinatieri of the MLB, NBA, and NFL respectively, Thornton, alongside fellow NHL veteran Zdeno Chára are the last active players of the four major North American sports leagues who played in their respective leagues in the 1990s, while Thornton stands as the earliest-drafted first overall selection still active.