Joe Thornton has been a staple in the National Hockey League since he was drafted first overall by the Boston Bruins in 1997 — but if you somehow haven’t been keeping up with him since then, you probably wouldn’t recognize him now.
Thornton came into the league fresh-faced and starry-eyed after two years in the Ontario Hockey League. He played with the Bruins until 2005, becoming the team’s captain and a fan-favorite but never winning the Stanley Cup.
Kelsey Driscoll 