Joe Thornton was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame last night ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs game. Auston Matthews wore a Joe Thornton jersey to the arena, and when Thornton found out, he had the best reaction.
Thornton was drafted first overall by the Boston Bruins in 1997. After seven years, the Bruins traded their then-captain to the San Jose Sharks, where he spent fifteen seasons and became a franchise legend. He finished his career with one season for the Maple Leafs and one for the Florida Panthers.
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Joe Thornton Hall of Fame ceremony
Thornton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, underscoring just how much “Jumbo Joe” has meant to hockey—not only as a brilliant player, with two 100-point seasons, an Art Ross Trophy, and a Hart Trophy, but also as a teammate and ambassador for the sport. Even though he played only one season with the Maple Leafs, he left a strong impression on younger teammates, especially William Nylander and Auston Matthews.
Perfect reaction to Auston Matthews
Last night, Matthews honored Thornton by wearing his jersey before the game against the Hurricanes. Afterward, a TSN reporter told Thornton about it, and he reacted exactly as expected—with humor.
“Oh, he did? What a guy! Oh, he looks goooood! He’s a sweetheart; we’re all cheering for him,” Thornton said when he saw footage of Matthews wearing his jersey.
Fans loved the moment.
“What an absolute beauty!” one fan wrote.
“Joe is such a gem of a human,” another added.
“What a legend. You can tell he was having the time of his life,” a third wrote.
You can watch the interview below.
READ MORE: Joe Thornton’s hilarious reaction to Hall of Fame call
