Longevity.  Statistics.  Greatness.

Joe Thornton was drafted as the number one overall pick by the Boston Bruins in 1997. His early years in the NHL were slow due to the Bruins Head Coach, Pat Burns, monitoring his ice time. However, by his third season, Thornton became a regular fixture and scored 60 points, which was the first of his 16 seasons in which he scored at least 60 points.

Thornton became an All-Star for the first time in 2002 and broke out as a superstar the following season with a 101-point year. He blossomed as a center, using his size and power to dominate corners and his grace to pass the puck. He was one of the most gifted playmakers of his day, and he would be for years to come. However, it was not going to be in Boston.

In 2003-04, Thornton's points dropped to 73, and fans turned on him, especially after his poor performance in the 2004 playoffs. When play resumed in 2005 after a lockout that cost everyone the 2004-05 season, Thornton was a restricted free agent, and though he resigned with the Bruins, it was a terse negotiation leaving both sides unhappy. Thornton got off to a good start with 33 points in 24 games, but the damage was done, and he was not considered by management to be a leader. He was traded to the San Jose Sharks during the season and, with a chip on his shoulder, won the Art Ross Trophy (125 points), Assists Title (96), and Hart Trophy, making him the first and only player to win the Hart and Art Ross while playing for two different teams.

In San Jose, Thornton became the leader Boston thought he couldn’t be. He topped the NHL in assists the next two seasons and was still a playmaking force over the next ten seasons, performing at a high level over the next decade. The Sharks were Stanley Cup contenders and made the Finals in 2011, but they fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. Age and injury began to catch up to him, and he tried to chase that elusive cup late in his career with stops in Toronto and Florida. However, it was not meant to be. He retired with 1,539 points and is in the top ten all-time in games played and assists.

Internationally, Thornton has won a bevy of gold medals: one Olympic, two World Cups, and one World Junior.

With six All-Stars, four post-season All-Stars, individual hardware, and international gold, the only thing Joe Thornton is missing is a Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, his achievements make him a no-brainer first-ballot Hall of Famer.

So…what does longevity mean?

As far as we are concerned, it should matter a lot!

As of this writing, Patrick Marleau is the most tenured player in the National Hockey League.  The Canadian forward played 23 seasons (21 with San Jose) and logged 1,779 Games with 1,197 Points.  Marleau was never a threat for any individual award, but he was consistent for a long time, played both ends of the ice, and was a clean player who rarely made mistakes.  He was also a three-time All-Star.

As good as he was, and as long as he played, is Patrick Marleau a Hall of "Very Good" player, or was he the next level?  Anyone, who holds the record for Games Played, is a member of the 1,000-Point club will likely be considered Hall of Fame worthy!

We are fascinated to debate this further!

This week, 17 year NHL veteran Dan Boyle retired in San Jose, the home of six of his pro seasons. 

The defenseman grinded out a long career after being undrafted out of Miami University.  Signing with the Florida Panthers, the native of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada would play 129 games for the South Florida team but a trade across the state to the Tampa Bay Lightning would see him turn around his career.

Under the guidance of John Tortorella, Boyle would enjoy his first 50 Point season (2002-03) and was a significant part of the Lightning’s first (and to date, only) Stanley Cup win in 2004.  Three years later he would be named a Second Team All Star.

Following the 2007-08 season, Boyle was traded to the San Jose Sharks, where he would go to his first All Star Game and again make Second Team All Star honors.  Despite being a loaded team, San Jose was never able to get over the hump and make the Stanley Cup Finals.  After six seasons in San Jose, Boyle would play his last two years with the New York Rangers.

Over his career in the National Hockey League, Dan Boyle played in 1,093 Games scoring 163 Goals with 442 Assists.  Along with the coveted Stanley Cup he won with Tampa, he also has a Gold Medal with Team Canada in the 2010 Olympics.

Boyle will be eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.  While he isn’t likely to get enshrined, we suspect he will earn a spot on our Notinhalloffame.com Hockey 100.

Evgeni Nabokov took his time to enter North America after being a late-round draft pick by the San Jose Sharks in 1994.  Six years later, the Goalie would make his debut with the San Jose and is, without doubt, the best backstop in franchise history.

Although Sandis Ozolinsh played for a plethora of NHL teams, Sandis Ozolinsh was not exactly a journeyman. The Latvian was adept at playmaking and was an excellent scoring defenseman. He finished his career playing in European leagues and though he made seven All-Star teams, there is a very good chance that he is going to be quickly forgotten by those who decide the Hall of Fame inductees.