Jonathan Cheechoo
A sharpshooting winger from Moose Factory who rocketed to a 56-goal season and captured the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy.
Born 1980 (age 46)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: July 15·Generation X
Biography
Hailing from the remote Cree community of Moose Factory, Ontario, Jonathan Cheechoo's journey to the NHL was a testament to raw talent and determination. Drafted by the San Jose Sharks in 1998, he honed his game in the minors before becoming a fixture on the Sharks' top line. His career zenith arrived in the 2005-06 season, where his powerful shot and intuitive positioning meshed perfectly with playmaker Joe Thornton, resulting in a league-leading 56 goals. That explosive performance earned him the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's top goal scorer, a rare feat for a player from an Indigenous background. While injuries later curtailed his peak, Cheechoo's story remains a powerful narrative of a goal-scorer's brilliant, blazing moment at the sport's highest level.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jonathan was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jonathan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Jonathan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy in 2006 as the NHL's leading goal scorer with 56 goals.
- Represented the San Jose Sharks in the 2007 NHL All-Star Game.
- Scored over 30 goals in two separate NHL seasons.
- Played over 500 games in the National Hockey League.
Did You Know?
He is a member of the Mushkegowuk Cree First Nation from Moose Factory, Ontario.
His 56-goal season in 2005-06 set a San Jose Sharks franchise record that stood for over a decade.
He played junior hockey for the Belleville Bulls in the OHL.
After his NHL career, he played professionally in Europe, including stints in the KHL and Czech league.
“Scoring fifty-six goals that season is a feeling I'll never forget.”
