Thornton, Chara, Keith inducted into Hockey Hall of Fame

The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted eight new members on Monday as part of their 2025 class, including Stanley Cup champions Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith and Alexander Mogilny.

Hart Trophy-winner Joe Thornton, along with Olympic gold-medal winners Jennifer Botterill, Brianna Decker and Daniele Sauvageau, as well as Boston University coaching legend Jack Parker were also inducted.

Here are some of the highlights from the induction ceremony.

Zdeno Chara

Chara, who played nearly 1,700 NHL regular-season games, captained the Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup in 2011 and and made two other Stanley Cup Final appearances with the team. He was consistently one of hockey’s best defenseman for nearly two decades, and won a Norris Trophy in 2008-09.

“Growing up in small town in Slovakia … you don’t dream about nights like this,” Chara said. “You dream about a patch of ice that doesn’t melt before we finish practice. You dream about finding a stick that’s not broken or skates that can still fit for a couple of years.”

Jennifer Botterill

Botterill, a three-time Olympic gold-medal winning forward, is widely considered the all-time points leader in college hockey history and the only two-time Patty Kazmaier Award winner.

“My parents said they always knew that the sport of hockey was something special,” said Botterill, who is now a broadcaster. “Every time I was on the ice playing, they said they could see my smile through the cage. I carried that very same smile throughout my entire career.”

Joe Thornton

Thornton finished his 24-year NHL career seventh on the NHL’s all-time assists list with 1,109 and 14th on the all-time points list with 1,539. The 1997 No. 1 overall pick won the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy in 2005-06, and helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

“At a young age, I instantly fell in love with the game of hockey,” he said. “It taught me the importance of brotherhood. It taught me the importance of friendship.”

Duncan Keith

Keith spent 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he won three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals and a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2015.

The two-time Norris Trophy winner said the best part of his career wasn’t the wins or the banners, but the family, the teammates, the trainers they met along the way.

“That’s why hockey will always be the ultimate team game,” he said. “You can’t chase a dream alone, and you don’t lift a cup or wear a gold medal on your own.”

Brianna Decker

The Dousman, Wisc., native won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. in 2018 and six World Championships. She also won the 2012 Patty Kazmaier Award with the University of Wisconsin. As a professional, she was the NWHL/PHF Most Valuable Player in 2016, as well as the playoff MVP, helping the Boston Pride win the Isobel Cup.

“Hockey has given me so much,” she said. “It’s given me lifelong friendships, unforgettable memories and now this incredible honor. I never played for the accolades, but this moment means the world to me, because it sure does represent all the people who supported me all the way.”