Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2025 speech highlights

TORONTO -- The eight members of the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2025 were inducted on Monday.

Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Jennifer Botterill, Brianna Decker, Alexander Mogilny and Joe Thornton were the inductees in the Players category, and Jack Parker and Daniele Sauvageau were the inductees in the Builders category.

Mogilny was not in attendance for the induction speeches but sent in a video.

Here are highlights of each of their speeches:

ZDENO CHARA: 'Thank you' to Lidstrom for being here

Zdeno Chara and Nicklas Lidstrom: Could there be any two more polar-opposite types of players, the yin and yang of defensemen?

Other than playing the same position, they could not have been more different.

Lidstrom was the epitome of smooth, controlling games with subtle moves, knowing when to step on the gas pedal and when to hit the brakes.

Chara, on the other hand, was a symbol of intimidation.

At 6-foot-9, Chara turned heads the moment he walked into a dressing room, let alone stepped on the ice. With his hulking size and long wingspan, opponents had to change the way they made their zone entries, all the while with a tinge of fear that he could easily knock them on their butt.

And yet, the two defensemen shared a special moment on the stage.

For it was Lidstrom, Hall of Fame Class of 2015, who presented Chara, Class of 2025, with his Hall of Fame plaque.

And with good reason, Chara said.

“I was very lucky that I was able to watch Michael Jordan in the 1990s and Lance Armstrong in the 2000s," Chara said. "That was very inspiring.

“But when it came to the hockey player who truly inspired me, even though I knew I was a completely different player, it was Nick Lidstrom. I always tried to implement some of his skills into my game.

“So thank you for being here.”

He also singled out some of his Boston Bruins teammates, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2011.

“We had a tight-knit group during that Stanley Cup year and many around it, a bunch of players who didn’t want to disappoint each other. We sacrificed our bodies, everyone knew their roles, we stuck up for each other and refused to let the guy next to you down.” -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

DUNCAN KEITH: ‘You can't chase a dream alone'

Keith opened his speech by talking about how his mom would take him to practice when he was a young boy before she would head to her 12-hour shift at a nursing home. He got emotional when thanking Trent Yawney, his first coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, and discussed the joy of playing for Chicago during its run of three Stanley Cup championships in six seasons (2009-10, 2012-13, 2014-15).

In fact, he thanked all his coaches, teammates and executives from the Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers, with whom he played his final NHL season.

But the most heartfelt moment was his closing, when he talked about his son, Colton -- a moment so poignant it brought tears to Joe Thornton's eyes.

“These days, my favorite hockey moments are with my son, Colton, and his teammates back home in Penticton (British Columbia),” he said. “The road trips, the tournaments, the early mornings. Seeing the game through his eyes has reminded me what this sport is really about: joy, connection and being a part of a team that's bigger than yourself.

“I'm going to sound like an old man here now, but to every kid out there: Work hard, stay humble and remember where there's a will, there's a way.

“My dad used to tell me, ‘Play with fire in your eyes.’ And my mom used to say to me before games, ‘Keep eyes in the back of your head.’ So thank you to my parents, to my brother Cam, my sister Rebecca, for always being there for me and for looking after Colton when I couldn't.

“To my son, Colton. Thank you for making me fall in love with this great game all over again.

“I love you to the fans for letting me live a dream that once belonged to a skinny kid in Fort Frances (Ontario). Hockey has given me more than I ever imagined.

“But the greatest wasn't the wins or the banners, it was the people, the teammates who became brothers, coaches who believed in me, trainers who kept us healthy, family who stood behind me through the ups and downs, because that's what this game gives you, people you go to battle with, people who become like family.

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

“You lift it with everybody that ever lifted you.” -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

JENNIFER BOTTERILL: ‘Why not you?’

Growing up in Winnipeg, Jennifer Botterill had a dream to one day represent Canada at the Olympics in hockey.

The dream began when she would visit her grandmother's house and see pictures of her mother, Doreen, on the wall representing Canada in speedskating at the Olympics in 1964 and 1968.

"You showed me this is possible, you showed me I could dream big at a young age ..." Botterill said of her mother. "I could imagine you at the Olympics representing the country."

But she still wondered if it would be possible.

A lunch one day with her father, Cal, when she was 15 years old forever changed her perspective when he asked her what her ultimate dream was.

"I told him I would love to play hockey for Canada one day at the Olympics, but I told him I'm not sure it's possible. So he looks across the table and says, 'Why not you? If someone else can be there, why can't it be you?' And just like that, your perspective shifts and changes completely."

Botterill would go on to represent Canada at the Olympics four times, winning three gold medals and one silver. When she first learned she would be going to the Olympics prior to the 1998 Nagano Games, her first thought was about her parents.

"My mom, how she showed me it's achievable, and I thought about my dad and that one lunch when he suggested, ‘Why not you?’”

Botterill said whenever she played, her primary focus was always to be the best teammate she could be, even though she was good enough to impact many games on her own. It was a mindset she credited to her brother, Jason.

"You always did what you could to elevate your teammates," Botterill said of Jason. "My favorite career play wasn't a goal but an assist, a pass I made in the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in the gold-medal game to Marie-Philip Poulin and it ended up being the gold medal winning goal, so for me in that moment, I wanted to be the best teammate and make the best decision I could to set up my teammate up for success. So thank you Jason for showing me how to be a great teammate."

The only two-time recipient of Patty Kazmaier Award, given to the top female college hockey player, Botterill said she always found joy in hockey, with her mother telling her she could see her smile through the cage on her helmet.

Soon after her final Olympic appearance in 2010, Botterill heard from a mother who told Botterill that after watching her help lead Canada to a gold medal, her 6-year old daughter wanted to play hockey. But when that little girl first put on her hockey equipment, her mother couldn't understand what she was doing.

"As soon as she got on the ice, she just started throwing her gloves and stick in the air," Botterill recalled the mother telling her. "Her mom asked her, 'What are you doing?' Her daughter turned and said, 'I'm just practicing my celebration.' This sport has the potential to inspire."

Why not you? -- Dave McCarthy, independent correspondent

BRIANNA DECKER: ‘The real reward’

Brianna Decker said she was humbled, overwhelmed with gratitude and still in disbelief. She thanked her fellow inductees, the selection committee and the Hockey Hall of Fame board of directors.

“From the very beginning, I was surrounded by people who shaped me, not just as a player, but as a person,” she said. “Every single teammate that I ever had has left a mark on me.”

Decker mentioned Amanda Kessel and twin sisters Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, high school teammates at Shattuck-St. Mary’s.

“They are some of the fiercest and most talented competitors I ever shared the ice with,” she said. “That experience taught me about dedication, about setting standards for excellence that went far beyond the rink.”

She mentioned Hilary Knight, Meghan Duggan and Alex Cavallini, college teammates at the University of Wisconsin.

“Those years were transformative for me,” Decker said. “We weren’t just building a team, we were building a family and we pushed each other every single day. And it wasn’t just the wins or the titles that made it special, it was the accountability and the trust that we had and the love that we had for one another.”

She mentioned Kacey Bellamy, Megan Bozek and Kendall Coyne Schofield, with whom she played for the United States.

“They taught me how to be bold, they taught me how to lead and they taught me how to fight for something greater in life,” she said. “What stands out most when I look back at this is, these teammates, they didn’t just make be a better player. Like I said, they made me a better person. They challenged me, they believed in me. We laughed, we cried. And they certainly helped shaped me.”

She thanked her coaches, especially Gordie Stafford in high school and Mark Johnson in college, and her family members, calling them her “first team.”

“The early mornings, long drives, the emotional highs and lows, you were there for it all,” she said. “You believed in me when I doubted myself, and your love gave me the foundation to chase my dreams without fear.”

Decker thanked USA Hockey, saying wearing the U.S. jersey was “one of the proudest moments of my life,” and she closed with an inspiring message.

“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.

“To every young player out there dreaming of what is possible, know it’s not about how many goals you score or how many games you win. It’s about the people you meet, the relationships you build and the character you grow that truly is the real reward.

“And finally, for every young girl out there, never let anyone tell you a woman can’t be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.” -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

JACK PARKER: From basketball kid to Hockey Hall of Fame

From the moment Jack Parker stepped onto the stage, he admitted he was still in disbelief.

After listening to his pal Lou Lamoriello introduce him and watching the pre-speech video documenting his accomplishments, including 897 wins, a record 24 NCAA tournament appearances and three NCAA championships (1978, 1995, 2009) from 1973 to 2013 at Boston University, Parker shrugged his shoulders.

“So, they’re really talking about me?” he asked.

He looked out at his fellow inductees in the Class of 2025, including big name players like Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith and Zdeno Chara.

“This is an incredible honor beyond the scope of my imagination, to tell you the truth,” he said. “And I’d also say congratulations to my fellow inductees. Again, I’m sitting with you guys wondering what I’m doing here.”

Jack then revealed that hockey wasn’t his sport growing up in Somerville, Massachusetts, an ironic twist given that it’s the game he was inducted for. It was the influence of his twin brother Bob, who passed away last year, that changed the course of his life.

“I grew up in a basketball town,” the 80-year-old said. “I was a basketball player. Bob was neither, and he announced he was going to be a hockey player.”

He recalled one particular Christmas that drew him over to hockey.

“I got a basketball and a pair of sneakers,” he said. “And Bob got a pair of pro hockey skates, a Northland pro hockey stick, and he got a Gordie Howe game shirt with the No. 9 on the back and the winged wheel on the front.

“And I’m looking under that tree, thinking to myself, ‘I’m in the wrong sport.’”

After that, Jack started following Bob around. And when they got to high school, Jack saw most of the kids he hung around with were going out for the hockey team.

“I wanted to hang out with those guys,” he said. “My decision was made. I’m going to be a hockey player.”

Parker went on to document his journey to the coaching ranks after a brief stint in the banking industry, thanking at least a dozen people, including Lamoriello, who helped get him there.

In breaking down the reasons why Boston University was successful during his tenure, Parker offered a simple formula.

“We used to have a philosophy,” he explained. “You want to have success, get the team with the best players.

“We got off the bus most times with the best players.”

And a coach who wasn’t too bad either. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

DANIELE SAUVAGEAU: 'The power of nos'

Daniele Sauvageau, the first woman to go into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder, truly lives up to the category. Kim St-Pierre, who won gold for Canada in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and coached Sauvageau in the Olympics said, “Daniele is the definition of a builder, not just of dreams, but of people and possibilities.”

Sauvageau talked about how she never took ‘no’ for an answer, starting when she grew up in Deux-Montagnes, Quebec.

“When I with my brother, Sylvain, we wanted to go and play organized hockey, and I was told he could play, but you cannot. And the first thing that came out of my mouth was, ‘How can I help?’ They said, ‘You see the bottles, you could put water and bring them to the bench.’”

“My parents taught me that when doors close on you, you just need to find a way. On June 24 at 1:22 in the afternoon, I received a call, and I almost thought there was a ghost in my room telling me the great news, that I was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In a second, all those nos that, ‘You cannot play, you cannot coach, you cannot do this,’ lifted.”

“I truly realized the power of the nos, the yes and the yes and the nos. A lot happened since I was told you cannot play hockey in that call. Please don't count the years.

“One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that you don't have to change the goal of your dream, just the path to get there. And who says that doing things in a different way is wrong? It's about stepping forward even if you don't see exactly what you are stepping in.

“Excellence is not born of in comfort. It's born of out of curiosity.”

She thanked her parents, her players, and her colleagues with the Montreal Victoire of the PWHL, where she is the general manager.

“I stand here today surrounded by those who built this game globally and those who will carry it forward. I dream of a life that did not exist, and I have lived a life that I could not imagine.” -- Bill Price, Editor-in-Chief

ALEXANDER MOGILNY: An early wake-up call

Alexander Mogilny last played in the NHL in the 2005-06 season. After putting together a resume that saw him finish with 1,032 points (473 goals, 559 assists) in 990 NHL games, he wondered if he would one day get a call from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Though he had to wait longer than some expected, he was overjoyed when it came in June. But given the time difference from Toronto to Russia, it came early, very early.

"You know I don't like early wake-up calls, but when I saw the 416 area code came up on my phone at 3 o'clock in the morning and the beautiful voices I waited to hear for a long time said, 'Hello Alex,' then I knew something special happened," Mogilny said. "I got so excited I couldn't go back to bed."

So he figured he had two choices.

"I thought I'll go make myself a cup of coffee or I'll pour a nice, chilled shot of Russian vodka," Mogilny said. "Take a guess what I did.

"You're exactly right. [Coffee] wasn't an option for me at that moment."

Mogilny thanked each of the teams he played for -- the Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils and Toronto Maple Leafs -- and their fans.

"It doesn't matter whether you cheered for or against me, you pushed me to be better," Mogilny said. "This sport is nothing without its community. Hockey gave me everything, and the greatest thing about it is its ability to unite people, countries, different lifestyles and life stories. ... My greatest hope is that my story might inspire another kid from a small Russian town to dream big."

But he said his journey to the Hockey Hall of Fame ultimately began when he was invited by Viktor Tikhonov to join CSKA Moscow.

"Those were the years that forged me as a man and a player," Mogilny said. "Coach Tikhonov was relentless in his pursuit of perfection. He set the standard I would chase throughout my career. I was literally molded by giants of the game." -- Dave McCarthy, independent correspondent

JOE THORNTON: ‘It’s time to party’

Joe Thornton capped off the night with an emotional speech, telling stories, wiping tears from his eyes and bringing smiles to everyone’s faces.

He said the last time he was at the Hockey Hall of Fame, he was attending the wedding of the parents of Brent Burns, then his San Jose Sharks teammate.

“Let me tell you, we rocked so hard that night, I didn’t think I’d be invited back,” he said. “But here I am, and this time, I stay forever.”

He said there was one season for him growing up: hockey season. He’d pretend to be Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Johnny Bower and Mario Lemieux. He wanted to be Pat LaFontaine, Cam Neely, Eric Lindros, Steve Yzerman and so many others.

“I want to thank all those greats for setting the bar and creating a dream inside of me,” he said.

He said the dream was made on Crescent Avenue in St. Thomas, Ontario, in a 1,200-square-foot house where his parents still live today. He and his brothers were raised on Don Cherry videos and knee hockey in the basement.

“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.”

Thornton traced his path to the NHL, talked about breaking in with the Boston Bruins and thanked the Bruins alumni.

“Everyone was just so kind to me,” he said. “They golfed with me, had lunch with me, taught me how to be a man. Wayne Cashman, we still talk weekly. It’s always the highlight of my week. I love you. But there was no one bigger during my time with the Bruins than Johnny Bucyk. As a young kid, 18 years old, the ‘Chief’ really took me under his wing, and he helped me through my first few years.”

He said it was “a hard few hours” when he was traded to San Jose.

“But then it hit me: ‘I’m 26. I’m in the prime of my career, so let’s go west and let’s go,’” he said. “…Everything just clicked, and it was easy to go to the rink. I felt dominant.”

He said it was always an honor to play for Canada, and he shared an anecdote about winning the gold medal at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

“I remember leaving the arena, and I looked to my left, and I saw a naked woman on the back of a motorcycle, waving a Canadian flag,” he said. “I looked to my pregnant wife, and I said, ‘I am so proud to be Canadian.’”

Thornton broke down as he talked about his wife, Tabea, and their children.

“Thanks for rolling with me, ‘T,’” he said. “I enjoy every day. I laugh. I smile. I think. I cry. All because of you.”

Finally, calling this the “honor of a lifetime,” Thornton turned to host James Duthie.

“Now, James, bring on the bagpipes,” he said. “It’s time to party. Thank you everyone. I love you.” -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist