Iginla, Thornton among first six revealed for NHL's Quarter-Century team

The NHL revealed the first six members of its Quarter-Century team in a release on Thursday, with multiple Hall-of-Famers included.

Defencemen Zdeno Chara and Nicklas Lidstrom and forwards Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic, Teemu Selanne and Joe Thornton were named to the Quarter-Century team in the first reveal.

The Quarter-Century Team was selected via the NHL Quarter-Century Team Fan Vote presented by SAP from Feb. 12-April 1. The fan vote followed the reveal of all 32 NHL clubs’ first and second teams, which were announced earlier this year.

The six players named to each team's First Team were eligible for selection in the fan vote.

Each of the six players revealed were six players who made their NHL debut before 2000, and four of the six revealed have already been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, with the other two expected to join them shortly.

Chara, who debuted in 1997 for the New York Islanders, spent four seasons each with the Islanders and Ottawa Senators before becoming a superstar with the Boston Bruins.

He was named captain before playing a game in Boston, and spent 15 years there - earning a Norris Trophy in 2008-09 and helping the Bruins win the 2011 Stanley Cup Trophy. He played the most games of any defenceman after Jan. 1 2000, and second-most of any player behind Patrick Marleau in the 21st century.

"His competitive drive, the way that he prepared, practices for games, in the gym, his focus, I learned from all of that. It was a privilege to be a part of it. It was also a privilege for me at a young age to learn from him. He had a great impact. … It's been an honor to be with him," former teammate Patrice Bergeron said.

Lidstrom won the Norris Trophy seven times with the Detroit Red Wings in the 21st century, and won a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2002 in helping the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup that season.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, and the Red Wings retired his No. 5 in 2014. "He was one of the few guys in the League that can make the game look easy at this level. That's when you know a guy is a superstar and Hall of Fame player, when he's playing with the best of the best and still makes it look easy," former teammate Chris Osgood said.

Iginla won the Rocket Richard Trophy twice as the league's top scorer with the Calgary Flames, in 2001-02 and 2003-04. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, and his No. 12 was retired by the Flames in 2019.

"What we saw on the ice is that player, that force, that guy who could score goals. For me, what made Jarome a complete package is what he did off the ice. What he did on the ice, we all saw it. We were all lucky enough to play with him and cherish those memories. But what he did off the ice was exceptional," former teammate Martin Gelinas said.

Sakic won the Hart Trophy, the Lyndsay Award and the Lady Byng Trophy in the 2000-01 season where he scored 54 goals and helped guide the Colorado Avalanche to their second Stanley Cup title in six seasons (1995-96). 

Former teammate Peter Stastny described Sakic as "a complete player and one of the greatest in history." Sakic was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

Selanne played the tail end of his career in the 21st century after being selected in the NHL Draft in 1988. He helped the Anaheim Ducks win the Stanley Cup in 2007, had his No. 8 jersey retired by Anaheim in 2015 and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017.

"Teemu gets a lot of respect for his goal-scoring ability, but the thing I noticed right away was what a great passer and playmaker he was and how unselfish he was," said former teammate Paul Kariya.

Thornton, nicknamed Jumbo Joe, became the only player in NHL history to win a Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy in a season in which he was traded in 2005-06, when he scored 26 goals and led the NHL with 125 points with the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks.

"You'll never meet a better teammate or person. He's one of my favorite people. But it's more than that. We need fun figures in our game. Our sport, in my opinion, lacks that. And it's hard to find a bigger personality than Jumbo," said former coach Pete DeBoer.