Joe Sakic
Encyclopedia
Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic (icon; born July 7, 1969) is a former Canadian professional ice hockey
player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League
career with the Quebec Nordiques
/Colorado Avalanche
franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup
twice, captured numerous NHL trophies, and was voted into 13 NHL All-Star Games. Named captain
of the team in 1992 (after serving as a co-captain in 1990–91), Sakic is regarded as one of strongest team leaders in the league's history and able to motivate his team to play at a winning level.
Over the course of his career, Sakic was one of the most productive forwards in the game, having twice scored 50 goals and earning at least 100 points in six different seasons. His wrist shot, considered one of the best in the NHL, was the source of much of his production as goalies around the league feared this shot. At the conclusion of the 2008–09 NHL season
, he was the eighth all-time points leader in the NHL, as well as 14th in all-time goals and 11th in all-time assists. During the 2002 Winter Olympics
, Sakic helped lead Team Canada to its first ice hockey gold medal in 50 years, and was voted as the tournament's most valuable player. He represented the team in six other international competitions, including the 1998
and 2006
Winter Olympics. After the 2000–01 NHL season, Sakic was named the MVP of the NHL by the hockey writers
and his fellow players
. He retired from the NHL on July 9, 2009 and had his jersey number retired prior to Avalanche's 2009–10 season
opener on October 1, 2009 at the Pepsi Center
. He is currently an Executive Advisor and Alternate Governor of the Avalanche.
, then the former Yugoslavia
. Growing up in Burnaby, he did not learn to speak English
well until kindergarten
, having been raised with Croatian
as his mother tongue. At the age of four Sakic attended his first NHL game, a match between the Vancouver Canucks
and Atlanta Flames
; after watching the game, Sakic decided that he wanted to become a hockey player. As a smaller player, he was forced to use skill rather than size to excel, and modeled himself after his idol, Wayne Gretzky
. After showing exceptional promise as a young hockey player in Burnaby, Sakic was referenced as a new Wayne Gretzky in the making. He scored 83 goals and 156 points in only 80 games for Burnaby, while attending school at Burnaby North Secondary Soon after, he was added to the Lethbridge Broncos
of the Western Hockey League
for the last part of the 1985–86 season.
During the 1986–87 WHL season, the Broncos relocated to Swift Current, Saskatchewan
, becoming the Swift Current Broncos
. Sakic, playing in his first full season, was named Rookie of the Year of the WHL. He notched 60 goals and 73 assists for 133 points. But while Sakic enjoyed success on the ice, he and his team faced a tragedy on the night of December 30, 1986. The Broncos were driving to a game against the Regina Pats
, and due to bad weather conditions, the bus crashed after the driver lost control on a patch of black ice outside of Swift Current. While Sakic was unharmed, four of his teammates (Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff) were killed. This incident had a lasting impact on the young Sakic, who declined to talk about the crash throughout his career. The next year, in 1987–88, Sakic was named the WHL Most Valuable Player
and Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year
. He scored 160 points (78 goals, 82 assists), tying him with Theoren Fleury
of the Moose Jaw Warriors
for the WHL scoring title.
in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
. Rather than make the immediate jump, he told the Nordiques management he would prefer to spend the 1987–88 season in Swift Current to prepare for the NHL. He made his NHL debut on October 6, 1988, against the Hartford Whalers
and registered an assist. His first NHL goal came two days later against goaltender Sean Burke
of the New Jersey Devils
. During the season, he wore #88 because his preferred number, #19 was already taken by a teammate, Alain Côté. While considered a front-runner for the Calder Memorial Trophy
as rookie of the year due to his rapid scoring pace, an ankle injury that forced him to miss 10 games in December and resulting scoring slump helped quash any hopes of winning the award. He would finish his rookie season with 62 points in 70 games.
In 1989–90, his second NHL season, Sakic was able to switch his number back to his familiar #19 (Alain Côté had retired over the summer), and scored 102 points, which was ninth overall in the league. At the start of the next season, 1990–91, he was named co-captain along with Steven Finn (Sakic was captain for home games, Finn for away games) and again passed the 100 point mark, improving to 109 points and sixth overall in the league, but would slip during 1991–92 to 94 points, partly as a result of missing eleven games. Early on in the season, Sakic showed some of his leadership qualities, even while Mike Hough
was serving as captain, as he stood firm in the Eric Lindros
holdout issue. With Lindros holding out against the Nordiques, who were one of the worst teams in league, Sakic commented, "We only want players here who have the passion to play the game. I'm tired of hearing that name. He's not here and there are a lot of others in this locker room who really care about the game." Lindros was traded a year later, ending the situation and bringing in a number of quality players, which vastly improved the Nordiques. During their first four seasons with Joe Sakic, the Nordiques finished last place in the Adams Division
and last in the entire league for three straight years, from 1989 to 1991.
Starting with the 1992–93 NHL season, Sakic became the sole captain of the franchise. Under his leadership, the Nordiques made the playoffs for the first time in six years, and set a franchise record for wins and points in the process (since broken by the 2001 Colorado Avalanche team). Sakic reached the 100 point plateau, the third time he did so in five years, by scoring 48 goals and 105 points in the regular season, and added another 6 points in the playoffs. His production went down slightly to 92 points in 1993–94 as the Nordiques failed to make the playoffs again. After missing part of the 1994–95 season due to the players being locked out by owners, Sakic was 8 points behind Jaromír Jágr
for the scoring title with a fourth place finish, and helped the Nordiques win the division title, their first since the 1985-86 season.
and was renamed the Colorado Avalanche
. Sakic led the team to its first Stanley Cup
championship, scoring 120 points in 82 regular season games and 34 points in 22 playoff games. He was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
as the Most Valuable Player of the 1996 NHL playoffs. During the run for the cup, Sakic again proved himself to be an effective team leader. Although he had missed the playoffs in five of his first seven years in the NHL, and lacked any postseason experience, he scored 18 goals, including six game-winners, and 34 points. He was one goal off from the record for goals in a playoff year, and his game-winning goals established a new record.
In the 1996–97 season, Sakic only played in 65 games due to a lacerated calf, yet still managed to score 74 points as the Avalanche earned their first President's Trophy and third straight division title. He had another great playoff season with 8 goals and 17 assists, and took the Avalanche all the way to the conference finals, where they eventually lost to the Detroit Red Wings
in six games. As a free agent during the summer of 1997, Sakic signed a three year, $21 million offer sheet
with the New York Rangers
as a restricted free agent. Under the collective bargaining agreement at the time, the Avalanche had one week to match the Rangers' offer or let go of Sakic. Colorado would match the offer, which instigated a salary raise for many NHL players.
Injuries would again limit Sakic's playing time in the 1997–98 season. While playing in his first Olympics with Team Canada, Sakic hurt his knee and was forced to miss eighteen games with the Avalanche. In the sixty-four games he did play in, he still scored 63 points, enough to earn him his seventh All-Star appearance. He finally rebounded from his injury problems in the 1998–99 season, finishing fifth in the league in scoring with 41 goals and 96 points in only 73 games. He led the Avalanche all the way to within one game of the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup winning Dallas Stars. After the season ended, Sakic was ranked number 94 on The Hockey News
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
During the 1999–2000 season, Sakic reached several career milestones. Injuries limited him to only 60 games, but he still managed to lead the team in scoring with 81 points. On December 27, 1999, against the St. Louis Blues, Sakic earned an assist to become the 56th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points. Later in the season, on March 23, 2000, he scored a hat trick against the Phoenix Coyotes
, and became the 59th player to score 400 career goals. It also gave him 1,049 points with the Quebec/Colorado franchise, passing Peter Stastny
as the all-time leader on the team. Sakic eclipsed the 100 point mark again in 2000–01, finishing with 118 along with a career best 54 goals. He led the Avalanche to their second Stanley Cup championship, and won the Hart Memorial Trophy
, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
and the Lester B. Pearson Award
. After the Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils
in the 2001 finals in seven games, Sakic received the cup first as the captain. But instead of hoisting it high, he passed it straight to Ray Bourque
, a player who had waited a record-breaking 22 seasons to win the Stanley Cup. Sakic led the Avalanche in scoring again in the 2001–02 season, finishing sixth in the league with seventy-nine points. On March 9, 2002, he played in his 1,000th career game. The Avalanche once again reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual Cup winning Detroit Red Wings
. The following year Sakic appeared in only 58 games, and finished with just 58 points. He rebounded the following year, finishing third in the league with 87 points. It also marked the first time since the 1993–94 season that his team did not win the division title, which was won by the Vancouver Canucks
.
Following the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Avalanche were forced to lose many of their key players in order to stay below the salary cap. Even with the loss of teammates Peter Forsberg
and Adam Foote
, Sakic still helped the Avalanche get into the playoffs, where they eventually lost to the Anaheim Ducks
in the conference semifinals. In June 2006, Sakic signed a one-year, $5.75 million deal to keep him with the Avalanche for the 2006–07 season. Upon the retirement of Steve Yzerman
a month later, on July 3, 2006, Sakic became the league leader for most NHL career points scored among active players.
Sakic had another strong season in the 2006–07. He scored his 600th career goal on February 15, 2007, against the Calgary Flames, becoming the 17th player in history to reach the milestone and third that year. On the final day of the regular season, he scored his 100th point, reaching the milestone for the sixth time in his career. At the same time, Sakic became the second-oldest NHL player to score 100 points in a season at age 37, alongside hockey legend Gordie Howe
. Despite his efforts as well as a late season charge, Sakic and the Avalanche missed the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, finishing one point behind the eighth placed Calgary Flames.
In April 2007, Sakic signed on for a 19th NHL season with the Colorado Avalanche, signing a one-year deal for the 2007–08 season. Sakic commented on the deal, saying "at this stage in my career, I prefer to do one-year deals as I evaluate my play year-to-year." Upon signing Sakic to the deal, Avalanche General Manager François Giguère
said, "Joe is the heart of this organization and his leadership and value to this team and especially our young players is unquestioned." On May 1, the NHL announced that Sakic was named as one of the three finalists of the Lady Byng Trophy, but it was eventually awarded to Pavel Datsyuk
of the Detroit Red Wings. On October 7, 2007, he scored a goal and had an assist against the San Jose Sharks
, moving past Phil Esposito
into eighth place on the NHL career points list with 1,591. Nineteen days later, Sakic scored a goal and assisted Ryan Smyth
for an overtime game-winning goal against the Calgary Flames, reaching his 1,600th point in the NHL. On December 27, 2007, it was announced that Sakic underwent hernia
surgery
to accelerate the recovery of an injury that had forced him to miss the previous 12 games after a 232 consecutive games played streak. The operation caused him to miss a career high 38 games. He was activated off of the injured reserve on February 24, and played that night, scoring an assist. On March 22, 2008, Sakic recorded his 1000th career assist against the Edmonton Oilers, becoming the 11th player in NHL history to reach this milestone. On June 21, 2008, Sakic had a talk with Colorado General Manager
, François Giguère
, and said that he is uncertain with his future with the Colorado Avalanche. However, it was announced on August 27, 2008, that Sakic decided to sign a one-year contract with the team. Injuries limited Sakic's playing time in 2008–09
. A herniated disk in his back forced him to stop playing in early November, after playing in fifteen games, in which Sakic scored twelve points. While at home letting his back heal, Sakic broke three fingers in a snow-blower accident. He announced his retirement on July 9, 2009 The Avalanche retired his jersey, #19, prior to their 2009–10 season
opener on October 1, 2009, with a "C" on the banner to represent his lengthy service as team captain (having been the only captain of the Avalanche until he retired). Sakic was also named the inaugural member of the Avalanche Alumni Association.
. He had at least one point in eleven of them. The only one that he missed entirely was the 1997 All-Star Game
, due to an injury. Sakic won the Most Valuable Player award in the 2004 All-Star Game
after scoring a hat trick
, despite the Western Conference losing the game. He is the all-time assist leader in All-Star Games with 16 assists and is third place in all-time all-star scoring with 22 points, behind Mario Lemieux
(23 points) and Wayne Gretzky
(25 points). His best record in an All-Star Game was in 2007, when he scored four assists for the winning team; however the MVP award was given to Danny Brière, who had a goal and four assists.
. His next tournament was the 1991 World Championships
, where Canada won the silver medal and Sakic contributed eleven points in ten games. He tried out for the 1991 Canadian Canada Cup team, but was the first player to be cut, being cited for his weak leg strength. Sakic was bitter about the experience, feeling he was not given a good enough chance to prove himself, and called the whole experience "a complete waste of time."
Sakic's first successful professional tournament was the 1994 World Championships
, where Canada won its first gold medal in the tournament since 1961. Sakic's seven points in eight games were a crucial part of the team's success. During the 1996 World Cup of Hockey
, he played only a minor role in Canada's second place finish as he scored one goal and two assists in six games. However the tournament allowed him to showcase that he was indeed a dominant player who had simply been overlooked.
Sakic's first Olympic appearance came in 1998
at Nagano, Japan
, after the event allowed NHL players to compete for the first time. Bothered by a knee injury, he only scored three points in four games, as the Canadian squad failed to meet expectations and finished in fourth. Sakic's second Olympic appearance came in the 2002 Winter Olympics
in Salt Lake City, Utah
. Led by his strong play, the Canadian team played their way to the gold medal match against Team USA, where Sakic had four points and helped the team win its first gold medal in 50 years. He was later named MVP of the tournament with a cumulative tally of four goals and six assists and became one of the first Canadian members of the Triple Gold Club
. Sakic also played a part in Canada's triumph in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey
, where he scored six points in six games.
On December 21, 2005, Sakic was named captain of Team Canada for the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
, Italy
. Once again, Team Canada was heavily favored and given high expectations, but they failed to medal, finishing seventh overall. Sakic finished the tournament with three points.
. In his role as an advisor, Sakic would advise the team in hockey-related matters, and as an alternate governor, would represent the team at Board of Governors meetings.
in the summer of 2006. Each summer, he also hosts his own charity golf tournament which benefits the Food Bank of the Rockies. His charity work, which is estimated to have provided more than 7 million meals to poor children and families, has earned an NHL Foundation Player Award in 2007.
In his hometown of Burnaby, Sakic was a fan favourite, and even has a street named "Joe Sakic Way" in his honour. Throughout British Columbia
he is affectionately known as "Burnaby Joe"; in Colorado
, he is known simply as "Super Joe". His younger brother Brian
joined the Swift Current Broncos
during Joe's final season with the team. He did, however, play for the Flint Generals
of the United Hockey League
.
, and the sixth to do so with one franchise. Gordie Howe
, Wayne Gretzky
, Mario Lemieux
, Raymond Bourque and Steve Yzerman
are the others who have achieved this feat. On March 22, 2008, Sakic notched his 1,000th career assist against the Edmonton Oilers on a second period goal scored by Tyler Arnason.
Sakic played his 1000th career game on March 9, 2002, against the Los Angeles Kings
. His 500th career goal came against the Vancouver Canucks
on December 11, 2002. In a February 15, 2007, game against the Calgary Flames
, Sakic scored his 600th career goal. He also earned his 900th assist, the sixteenth player to do so, against the Flames, in a game on March 12, 2006.
During the final game of the 2006–07 season, Sakic scored his 100th point of the year. This made him, at age 37, the second oldest player in NHL history, after Gordie Howe, to record 100 points in a regular season. He became the longest active tenured captain in the league, with fifteen seasons leading the Nordiques/Avalanche franchise, after the retirement of Steve Yzerman at the conclusion of the 2005–06 regular season. On March 22, 2008, against the Edmonton Oilers
, Sakic recorded the 1000th assist of his career, the 11th player to do so. The gloves he wore in the game were later sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
Alongside Bobby Clarke
, Wayne Gretzky
and Mark Messier
, Sakic is one of four players to captain his team to a Stanley Cup championship and win the Hart Memorial Trophy in the same year. Sakic is also one of twenty-two members in the Triple Gold Club
, a term used in ice hockey to describe players who have won an Olympic Gold medal, a World Championship Gold medal and the Stanley Cup.
Throughout his career, Sakic was one of the top scorers in the league, but in his early years he was criticized for not leading his team to playoff success. While in Quebec, the Nordiques were one of the worst teams in the league, finishing last in their division five out of the seven years Sakic was with the team, including three straight years of being last overall in the league. After leading the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in 1996 with his 34 playoff points, Sakic began to be seen as a leader capable of winning, and he was seen as one of the league's premier players.
Though Sakic was a quiet individual, he was able to motivate his team to play at higher levels, which earned him the respect of his peers and executives. The first signs of Sakic's leadership began to show while still a member of the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. After the bus crash that killed four of his teammates, Sakic was seen as the leader of the team, acknowledging that the experience changed his outlook on life. This was further proven during the summer of 1997 when the New York Rangers offered him a large contract, in order to replace captain Mark Messier
(who had left the team for the Vancouver Canucks), which under the rules of the NHL, the Avalanche were able to match.
One of the most defining actions of Sakic's career was at the conclusion of the 2001 playoffs. Defying the NHL tradition of the captain being the first to skate around with the Stanley Cup, Sakic passed it off to teammate Ray Bourque
. Bourque, one of the best defensemen to ever play, had been traded to the Avalanche the year before after spending 21 years with the Boston Bruins
and setting the record for most games played without winning the Cup. Sakic's handing of the trophy to Bourque is seen as just another example of Sakic's leadership abilities and how he performs through actions rather than words.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
career with the Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
/Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
twice, captured numerous NHL trophies, and was voted into 13 NHL All-Star Games. Named captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
of the team in 1992 (after serving as a co-captain in 1990–91), Sakic is regarded as one of strongest team leaders in the league's history and able to motivate his team to play at a winning level.
Over the course of his career, Sakic was one of the most productive forwards in the game, having twice scored 50 goals and earning at least 100 points in six different seasons. His wrist shot, considered one of the best in the NHL, was the source of much of his production as goalies around the league feared this shot. At the conclusion of the 2008–09 NHL season
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, he was the eighth all-time points leader in the NHL, as well as 14th in all-time goals and 11th in all-time assists. During the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, Sakic helped lead Team Canada to its first ice hockey gold medal in 50 years, and was voted as the tournament's most valuable player. He represented the team in six other international competitions, including the 1998
Canada at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Canada competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Canada has competed at every Winter Olympic Games.Canada's biggest story at these games was the failure of the men's ice hockey team to win gold. For the first time, Canada's best players were able to compete at the Olympics, so...
and 2006
Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Canada competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, with a team of 196 athletes and 220 support staff.As host of the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics, Canada was pressured to do well at the 2006 Games...
Winter Olympics. After the 2000–01 NHL season, Sakic was named the MVP of the NHL by the hockey writers
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
and his fellow players
Lester B. Pearson Award
The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...
. He retired from the NHL on July 9, 2009 and had his jersey number retired prior to Avalanche's 2009–10 season
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
opener on October 1, 2009 at the Pepsi Center
Pepsi Center
Pepsi Center is a multi-purpose arena in Denver, Colorado, United States. The building is home to the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League...
. He is currently an Executive Advisor and Alternate Governor of the Avalanche.
Early life
Sakic was born in Burnaby to Marijan and Slavica Sakic (originally Šakić, ˈʃakit͡ɕ), immigrants from CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, then the former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. Growing up in Burnaby, he did not learn to speak English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
well until kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, having been raised with Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
as his mother tongue. At the age of four Sakic attended his first NHL game, a match between the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
and Atlanta Flames
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
; after watching the game, Sakic decided that he wanted to become a hockey player. As a smaller player, he was forced to use skill rather than size to excel, and modeled himself after his idol, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
. After showing exceptional promise as a young hockey player in Burnaby, Sakic was referenced as a new Wayne Gretzky in the making. He scored 83 goals and 156 points in only 80 games for Burnaby, while attending school at Burnaby North Secondary Soon after, he was added to the Lethbridge Broncos
Lethbridge Broncos
The Lethbridge Broncos were a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League from 1974 until 1986. They played at the Lethbridge Sportsplex.-Season-by-season record:...
of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
for the last part of the 1985–86 season.
During the 1986–87 WHL season, the Broncos relocated to Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Swift Current, Saskatchewan
Swift Current is a small city in southwest Saskatchewan. It is situated along the Trans Canada Highway west from Moose Jaw, and east from Medicine Hat, Alberta. Swift Current grew 0.8% between 2001 and 2006 ending up at 14,946 residents. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Swift...
, becoming the Swift Current Broncos
Swift Current Broncos
The Swift Current Broncos are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. Founded during 1967 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the Broncos played seven seasons before relocating to Lethbridge from 1974 to 1986 as the Lethbridge Broncos...
. Sakic, playing in his first full season, was named Rookie of the Year of the WHL. He notched 60 goals and 73 assists for 133 points. But while Sakic enjoyed success on the ice, he and his team faced a tragedy on the night of December 30, 1986. The Broncos were driving to a game against the Regina Pats
Regina Pats
The Regina Pats are a junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League. The Pats are based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and the Brandt Centre is their home arena.-History:...
, and due to bad weather conditions, the bus crashed after the driver lost control on a patch of black ice outside of Swift Current. While Sakic was unharmed, four of his teammates (Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka and Brent Ruff) were killed. This incident had a lasting impact on the young Sakic, who declined to talk about the crash throughout his career. The next year, in 1987–88, Sakic was named the WHL Most Valuable Player
Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
The Four Broncos Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the Western Hockey League's Player of the Year.The trophy is named in honour of four members of the Swift Current Broncos who were killed on December 30, 1986 in the Swift Current Broncos bus crash, an accident that occurred when the team bus...
and Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year
CHL Player of the Year
The CHL Player of the Year award is given out annually to the player judged to be the most outstanding in the Canadian Hockey League. It is selected from the winners of the Red Tilson Trophy , Michel Briere Memorial Trophy , and the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy .-Winners:* 2010-11 Ryan Ellis,...
. He scored 160 points (78 goals, 82 assists), tying him with Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
of the Moose Jaw Warriors
Moose Jaw Warriors
The Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League which are based out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The team plays its home games at Mosaic Place. The franchise moved to Moose Jaw from Winnipeg after the 1983–84 season, where they had previously been named the...
for the WHL scoring title.
Quebec Nordiques
Sakic was drafted 15th overall by the Quebec NordiquesQuebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
1987 NHL Entry Draft
The 1987 NHL Entry Draft was held at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1986–87 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players selected.-Selections...
. Rather than make the immediate jump, he told the Nordiques management he would prefer to spend the 1987–88 season in Swift Current to prepare for the NHL. He made his NHL debut on October 6, 1988, against the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
and registered an assist. His first NHL goal came two days later against goaltender Sean Burke
Sean Burke
Sean Burke is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New Jersey Devils, Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Florida Panthers, Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Los Angeles...
of the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. During the season, he wore #88 because his preferred number, #19 was already taken by a teammate, Alain Côté. While considered a front-runner for the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as rookie of the year due to his rapid scoring pace, an ankle injury that forced him to miss 10 games in December and resulting scoring slump helped quash any hopes of winning the award. He would finish his rookie season with 62 points in 70 games.
In 1989–90, his second NHL season, Sakic was able to switch his number back to his familiar #19 (Alain Côté had retired over the summer), and scored 102 points, which was ninth overall in the league. At the start of the next season, 1990–91, he was named co-captain along with Steven Finn (Sakic was captain for home games, Finn for away games) and again passed the 100 point mark, improving to 109 points and sixth overall in the league, but would slip during 1991–92 to 94 points, partly as a result of missing eleven games. Early on in the season, Sakic showed some of his leadership qualities, even while Mike Hough
Mike Hough
Michael Lloyd Hough is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played thirteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1986–87 until 1998–99....
was serving as captain, as he stood firm in the Eric Lindros
Eric Lindros
Eric Bryan Lindros is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. Lindros played junior hockey in the OHL for the Oshawa Generals prior to being selected first overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques...
holdout issue. With Lindros holding out against the Nordiques, who were one of the worst teams in league, Sakic commented, "We only want players here who have the passion to play the game. I'm tired of hearing that name. He's not here and there are a lot of others in this locker room who really care about the game." Lindros was traded a year later, ending the situation and bringing in a number of quality players, which vastly improved the Nordiques. During their first four seasons with Joe Sakic, the Nordiques finished last place in the Adams Division
Adams Division
The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins...
and last in the entire league for three straight years, from 1989 to 1991.
Starting with the 1992–93 NHL season, Sakic became the sole captain of the franchise. Under his leadership, the Nordiques made the playoffs for the first time in six years, and set a franchise record for wins and points in the process (since broken by the 2001 Colorado Avalanche team). Sakic reached the 100 point plateau, the third time he did so in five years, by scoring 48 goals and 105 points in the regular season, and added another 6 points in the playoffs. His production went down slightly to 92 points in 1993–94 as the Nordiques failed to make the playoffs again. After missing part of the 1994–95 season due to the players being locked out by owners, Sakic was 8 points behind Jaromír Jágr
Jaromir Jagr
Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Jágr formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers...
for the scoring title with a fourth place finish, and helped the Nordiques win the division title, their first since the 1985-86 season.
Colorado Avalanche
In May 1995, the Nordiques announced that the team had been sold and were relocating from Quebec. Before the start of the 1995–96 NHL season, the franchise moved to Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and was renamed the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
. Sakic led the team to its first Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship, scoring 120 points in 82 regular season games and 34 points in 22 playoff games. He was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as the Most Valuable Player of the 1996 NHL playoffs. During the run for the cup, Sakic again proved himself to be an effective team leader. Although he had missed the playoffs in five of his first seven years in the NHL, and lacked any postseason experience, he scored 18 goals, including six game-winners, and 34 points. He was one goal off from the record for goals in a playoff year, and his game-winning goals established a new record.
In the 1996–97 season, Sakic only played in 65 games due to a lacerated calf, yet still managed to score 74 points as the Avalanche earned their first President's Trophy and third straight division title. He had another great playoff season with 8 goals and 17 assists, and took the Avalanche all the way to the conference finals, where they eventually lost to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in six games. As a free agent during the summer of 1997, Sakic signed a three year, $21 million offer sheet
Offer sheet
In the National Hockey League, an offer sheet is a contract offered to a restricted free agent by a team other than the one for which he played during the prior season...
with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
as a restricted free agent. Under the collective bargaining agreement at the time, the Avalanche had one week to match the Rangers' offer or let go of Sakic. Colorado would match the offer, which instigated a salary raise for many NHL players.
Injuries would again limit Sakic's playing time in the 1997–98 season. While playing in his first Olympics with Team Canada, Sakic hurt his knee and was forced to miss eighteen games with the Avalanche. In the sixty-four games he did play in, he still scored 63 points, enough to earn him his seventh All-Star appearance. He finally rebounded from his injury problems in the 1998–99 season, finishing fifth in the league in scoring with 41 goals and 96 points in only 73 games. He led the Avalanche all the way to within one game of the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup winning Dallas Stars. After the season ended, Sakic was ranked number 94 on The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
During the 1999–2000 season, Sakic reached several career milestones. Injuries limited him to only 60 games, but he still managed to lead the team in scoring with 81 points. On December 27, 1999, against the St. Louis Blues, Sakic earned an assist to become the 56th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points. Later in the season, on March 23, 2000, he scored a hat trick against the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
, and became the 59th player to score 400 career goals. It also gave him 1,049 points with the Quebec/Colorado franchise, passing Peter Stastny
Peter Stastny
Peter Šťastný , also known colloquially as "Peter the Great" and "Stosh", is a retired Slovak professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1980 to 1995. During his time with the Quebec Nordiques, Stastny became a Canadian citizen. Since 2004, he has also served as a...
as the all-time leader on the team. Sakic eclipsed the 100 point mark again in 2000–01, finishing with 118 along with a career best 54 goals. He led the Avalanche to their second Stanley Cup championship, and won the Hart Memorial Trophy
Hart Memorial Trophy
The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different...
, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy
The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability"...
and the Lester B. Pearson Award
Lester B. Pearson Award
The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings...
. After the Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the 2001 finals in seven games, Sakic received the cup first as the captain. But instead of hoisting it high, he passed it straight to Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League . Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and...
, a player who had waited a record-breaking 22 seasons to win the Stanley Cup. Sakic led the Avalanche in scoring again in the 2001–02 season, finishing sixth in the league with seventy-nine points. On March 9, 2002, he played in his 1,000th career game. The Avalanche once again reached the Western Conference Finals, but lost to the eventual Cup winning Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. The following year Sakic appeared in only 58 games, and finished with just 58 points. He rebounded the following year, finishing third in the league with 87 points. It also marked the first time since the 1993–94 season that his team did not win the division title, which was won by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
.
Peter Forsberg
Peter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
and Adam Foote
Adam Foote
Adam David Vernon Foote is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He was best known for his physical presence and gritty play as a stay-at-home defenceman....
, Sakic still helped the Avalanche get into the playoffs, where they eventually lost to the Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the conference semifinals. In June 2006, Sakic signed a one-year, $5.75 million deal to keep him with the Avalanche for the 2006–07 season. Upon the retirement of Steve Yzerman
Steve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
a month later, on July 3, 2006, Sakic became the league leader for most NHL career points scored among active players.
Sakic had another strong season in the 2006–07. He scored his 600th career goal on February 15, 2007, against the Calgary Flames, becoming the 17th player in history to reach the milestone and third that year. On the final day of the regular season, he scored his 100th point, reaching the milestone for the sixth time in his career. At the same time, Sakic became the second-oldest NHL player to score 100 points in a season at age 37, alongside hockey legend Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
. Despite his efforts as well as a late season charge, Sakic and the Avalanche missed the playoffs for the first time in 11 years, finishing one point behind the eighth placed Calgary Flames.
In April 2007, Sakic signed on for a 19th NHL season with the Colorado Avalanche, signing a one-year deal for the 2007–08 season. Sakic commented on the deal, saying "at this stage in my career, I prefer to do one-year deals as I evaluate my play year-to-year." Upon signing Sakic to the deal, Avalanche General Manager François Giguère
François Giguère
François C.H. Giguère was the former general manager and executive vice president of the Colorado Avalanche. He was promoted on May 24, 2006...
said, "Joe is the heart of this organization and his leadership and value to this team and especially our young players is unquestioned." On May 1, the NHL announced that Sakic was named as one of the three finalists of the Lady Byng Trophy, but it was eventually awarded to Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk is a professional ice hockey player from Russia and alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League . He is known for his stick-handling and is considered the best two-way forward in the game today, having won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in the...
of the Detroit Red Wings. On October 7, 2007, he scored a goal and had an assist against the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, moving past Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
into eighth place on the NHL career points list with 1,591. Nineteen days later, Sakic scored a goal and assisted Ryan Smyth
Ryan Smyth
Ryan Alexander Gordon Smyth is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League...
for an overtime game-winning goal against the Calgary Flames, reaching his 1,600th point in the NHL. On December 27, 2007, it was announced that Sakic underwent hernia
Hernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
to accelerate the recovery of an injury that had forced him to miss the previous 12 games after a 232 consecutive games played streak. The operation caused him to miss a career high 38 games. He was activated off of the injured reserve on February 24, and played that night, scoring an assist. On March 22, 2008, Sakic recorded his 1000th career assist against the Edmonton Oilers, becoming the 11th player in NHL history to reach this milestone. On June 21, 2008, Sakic had a talk with Colorado General Manager
General manager
General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
, François Giguère
François Giguère
François C.H. Giguère was the former general manager and executive vice president of the Colorado Avalanche. He was promoted on May 24, 2006...
, and said that he is uncertain with his future with the Colorado Avalanche. However, it was announced on August 27, 2008, that Sakic decided to sign a one-year contract with the team. Injuries limited Sakic's playing time in 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
. A herniated disk in his back forced him to stop playing in early November, after playing in fifteen games, in which Sakic scored twelve points. While at home letting his back heal, Sakic broke three fingers in a snow-blower accident. He announced his retirement on July 9, 2009 The Avalanche retired his jersey, #19, prior to their 2009–10 season
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
opener on October 1, 2009, with a "C" on the banner to represent his lengthy service as team captain (having been the only captain of the Avalanche until he retired). Sakic was also named the inaugural member of the Avalanche Alumni Association.
All-Star Games
Sakic was voted into the NHL All-Star Game thirteen times and played in twelve of them and was captain for two of them, the last in 200755th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Dallas, Texas, on January 24, 2007. The Western Conference was victorious, defeating the Eastern Conference 12–9...
. He had at least one point in eleven of them. The only one that he missed entirely was the 1997 All-Star Game
47th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 18, 1997 at the San Jose Arena. The final score was Eastern Conference 11, Western Conference 7. This game was originally scheduled for the 1994-95 season, but was cancelled due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.-Super Skills...
, due to an injury. Sakic won the Most Valuable Player award in the 2004 All-Star Game
54th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 54th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place during the 2003–04 NHL season and was held on February 8, 2004, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, official arena of the NHL's Minnesota Wild...
after scoring a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
, despite the Western Conference losing the game. He is the all-time assist leader in All-Star Games with 16 assists and is third place in all-time all-star scoring with 22 points, behind Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
(23 points) and Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
(25 points). His best record in an All-Star Game was in 2007, when he scored four assists for the winning team; however the MVP award was given to Danny Brière, who had a goal and four assists.
International play
Sakic had an extensive international hockey career, representing Canada at seven international competitions. After being drafted by the Nordiques in 1987, he went on and helped Canada win the 1988 World Junior ChampionshipWorld Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
. His next tournament was the 1991 World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
, where Canada won the silver medal and Sakic contributed eleven points in ten games. He tried out for the 1991 Canadian Canada Cup team, but was the first player to be cut, being cited for his weak leg strength. Sakic was bitter about the experience, feeling he was not given a good enough chance to prove himself, and called the whole experience "a complete waste of time."
Sakic's first successful professional tournament was the 1994 World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
, where Canada won its first gold medal in the tournament since 1961. Sakic's seven points in eight games were a crucial part of the team's success. During the 1996 World Cup of Hockey
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....
, he played only a minor role in Canada's second place finish as he scored one goal and two assists in six games. However the tournament allowed him to showcase that he was indeed a dominant player who had simply been overlooked.
Sakic's first Olympic appearance came in 1998
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
at Nagano, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, after the event allowed NHL players to compete for the first time. Bothered by a knee injury, he only scored three points in four games, as the Canadian squad failed to meet expectations and finished in fourth. Sakic's second Olympic appearance came in the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Led by his strong play, the Canadian team played their way to the gold medal match against Team USA, where Sakic had four points and helped the team win its first gold medal in 50 years. He was later named MVP of the tournament with a cumulative tally of four goals and six assists and became one of the first Canadian members of the Triple Gold Club
Triple Gold Club
The Triple Gold Club is a term used to describe ice hockey players and coaches who have won an Olympic Games gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup, the championship trophy of the National Hockey League...
. Sakic also played a part in Canada's triumph in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey
2004 World Cup of Hockey
The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues...
, where he scored six points in six games.
On December 21, 2005, Sakic was named captain of Team Canada for the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Once again, Team Canada was heavily favored and given high expectations, but they failed to medal, finishing seventh overall. Sakic finished the tournament with three points.
Post-playing career
After he retired, Sakic decided to take time off from hockey and spent time with his family. In 2011, two years after his retirement, Sakic was hired by the Avalanche to work in their front office. He was named an Executive Advisor and Alternate Governor for the team, effective at the end of the 2010–11 season2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
. In his role as an advisor, Sakic would advise the team in hockey-related matters, and as an alternate governor, would represent the team at Board of Governors meetings.
Personal life
Sakic and his wife Debbie have three children: son Mitchell, born in 1996, and fraternal twins; son Chase and daughter Kamryn, born in October 2000. They met at a local high school while he was playing in Swift Current, and they frequently return to the town during the off-season. Sakic is an avid golfer, and competed in the celebrity Pro Am golf tournament in Lake TahoeLake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. At a surface elevation of , it is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is , making it the USA's second-deepest...
in the summer of 2006. Each summer, he also hosts his own charity golf tournament which benefits the Food Bank of the Rockies. His charity work, which is estimated to have provided more than 7 million meals to poor children and families, has earned an NHL Foundation Player Award in 2007.
In his hometown of Burnaby, Sakic was a fan favourite, and even has a street named "Joe Sakic Way" in his honour. Throughout British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
he is affectionately known as "Burnaby Joe"; in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, he is known simply as "Super Joe". His younger brother Brian
Brian Sakic
Brian Sakic is a former professional ice hockey player.-Playing career:Sakic started his junior career with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. His brother, retired legend NHL player Joe Sakic, was also on the team...
joined the Swift Current Broncos
Swift Current Broncos
The Swift Current Broncos are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. Founded during 1967 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the Broncos played seven seasons before relocating to Lethbridge from 1974 to 1986 as the Lethbridge Broncos...
during Joe's final season with the team. He did, however, play for the Flint Generals
Flint Generals
The Flint Generals were a professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan.They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at Perani Arena and Event Center in Flint, Michigan....
of the United Hockey League
United Hockey League
The United Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States...
.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoff Playoff The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S... s |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1985–86 | Burnaby BC Selects | BCAHA | 80 | 83 | 73 | 156 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Lethbridge Broncos Lethbridge Broncos The Lethbridge Broncos were a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League from 1974 until 1986. They played at the Lethbridge Sportsplex.-Season-by-season record:... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Swift Current Broncos Swift Current Broncos The Swift Current Broncos are a junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. Founded during 1967 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the Broncos played seven seasons before relocating to Lethbridge from 1974 to 1986 as the Lethbridge Broncos... |
WHL | 72 | 60 | 73 | 133 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1987–88 | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | 64 | 78 | 82 | 160 | 64 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 24 | 12 | ||
| 1988–89 | Quebec Nordiques Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
70 | 23 | 39 | 62 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 80 | 39 | 63 | 102 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 80 | 48 | 61 | 109 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 69 | 29 | 65 | 94 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 78 | 48 | 57 | 105 | 40 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1993–94 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 84 | 28 | 64 | 92 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 47 | 19 | 43 | 62 | 30 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | ||
| 1995–96 | Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
NHL | 82 | 51 | 69 | 120 | 44 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 34 | 14 | ||
| 1996–97 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 65 | 22 | 52 | 74 | 34 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 14 | ||
| 1997–98 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 64 | 27 | 36 | 63 | 50 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | ||
| 1998–99 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 73 | 41 | 55 | 96 | 29 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 8 | ||
| 1999–00 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 60 | 28 | 53 | 81 | 28 | 17 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 2000–01 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 54 | 64 | 118 | 30 | 21 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 6 | ||
| 2001–02 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 26 | 53 | 79 | 18 | 21 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 58 | 26 | 32 | 58 | 24 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 81 | 33 | 54 | 87 | 42 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 8 | ||
| 2005–06 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 32 | 55 | 87 | 60 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | ||
| 2006–07 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 82 | 36 | 64 | 100 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 44 | 13 | 27 | 40 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 15 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| WHL totals | 139 | 138 | 155 | 293 | 95 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 12 | ||||
| NHL totals | 1378 | 625 | 1016 | 1641 | 614 | 172 | 84 | 104 | 188 | 78 | ||||
- Boldface denotes career high in each statistics.
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | P | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Canada | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1988 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 12th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Moscow, Soviet Union. Canada and the Soviet Union won the gold and silver medals respectively as the two nations redeemed themselves following their mutual... |
Canada | WJC World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world... |
7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1991 1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.-World Championship Group B :... |
Canada | WC Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
10 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1994 1994 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships - Group 2 :- Quarterfinals :- Consolation Round 11-12 Place :- Semifinals :- Match for third place :- Final :-World Championship Group B :... |
Canada | WC | 8 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 27 | |
| 1996 1996 World Cup of Hockey The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey .... |
Canada | WCp World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991... |
8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | |
| 1998 Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to... |
Canada | Oly 1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice... |
4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 2002 Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
Canada | Oly 2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout... |
6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2004 2004 World Cup of Hockey The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League -sanctioned competition eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 30 to September 14, 2004, and took place in various venues... |
Canada | WCp | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2006 Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics -Leading scorers:-Leading goaltenders:Goalkeepers with 40% or more of their team's total minutes.-Awards:Antero Niittymäki was named the most valuable player and received the Directorate Award for best goaltender of the tournament. Directorate Awards also went to Teemu Selänne for best forward, and... |
Canada | Oly 2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter... |
6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
| Junior int'l totals | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |||
| Senior int'l totals | 48 | 22 | 19 | 41 | 39 | |||
All-Star games
| Year | Location | G | A | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game The 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, on January 21, 1990. The game saw the team of all-stars from the Wales conference defeat the Campbell conference all-stars 12–7... |
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... |
0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1991 42nd National Hockey League All-Star Game The 42nd National Hockey League All-Star Game took place in Chicago Stadium, home of the Chicago Blackhawks, on January 19, 1991.-Commissioner's Choice:... |
Chicago Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 1992 43rd National Hockey League All-Star Game The 43rd NHL All-Star Game featured 16 goals as the Campbell Conference defeated the Wales Conference, 10–6. Brett Hull was named as the All-Star M.V.P... |
Philadelphia Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 1993 44th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 44th National Hockey League All-Star Game was the last All-Star game to take place at the Montreal Forum on February 6, 1993. Before the start of the game there was a tribute to Mario Lemieux, who was in attendance, but could not play due to his treatments for Hodgkin's Disease... |
Montreal Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ... |
0 | 3 | 3 | |
| 1994 45th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 45th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in New York City, New York, on January 22, 1994.- Super Skills Competition :The Western Conference would win the Skills Competition for the second straight season... |
New York New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1996 | Boston Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 18, 1997 at the San Jose Arena. The final score was Eastern Conference 11, Western Conference 7. This game was originally scheduled for the 1994-95 season, but was cancelled due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.-Super Skills... |
San Jose San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
- | - | - | |
| 1998 48th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 48th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, home to the Vancouver Canucks, on January 18, 1998.-The International Showdown:... |
Vancouver Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
0 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2000 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game was part of the 1999–2000 NHL season, and took place in Toronto's Air Canada Centre on February 6, 2000.... |
Toronto Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2001 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game The 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on February 4, 2001, at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The final score was North America 14, World 12.-Super Skills Competition:... |
Denver Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2002 52nd National Hockey League All-Star Game The 52nd National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on February 2, 2002, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The final score was World 8, North America 5. This was the last National Hockey League All-Star Game to have the North America vs... |
Los Angeles Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2004 54th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 54th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place during the 2003–04 NHL season and was held on February 8, 2004, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, official arena of the NHL's Minnesota Wild... |
St. Paul Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
3 | 0 | 3 | |
| 2007 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 55th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Dallas, Texas, on January 24, 2007. The Western Conference was victorious, defeating the Eastern Conference 12–9... |
Dallas Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The... |
0 | 4 | 4 | |
| All-Star totals | 6 | 16 | 22 | ||
Milestones
Sakic recorded his 1000th career point on December 27, 1999, against the St. Louis Blues. He became the eleventh player to reach 1500 points, doing so on October 25, 2006, with an assist against the Washington CapitalsWashington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, and the sixth to do so with one franchise. Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe
Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League , and the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association . Howe is often referred to as Mr...
, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
, Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
, Raymond Bourque and Steve Yzerman
Steve Yzerman
Stephen Gregory "Steve" Yzerman is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player and current general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League...
are the others who have achieved this feat. On March 22, 2008, Sakic notched his 1,000th career assist against the Edmonton Oilers on a second period goal scored by Tyler Arnason.
Sakic played his 1000th career game on March 9, 2002, against the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. His 500th career goal came against the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
on December 11, 2002. In a February 15, 2007, game against the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Sakic scored his 600th career goal. He also earned his 900th assist, the sixteenth player to do so, against the Flames, in a game on March 12, 2006.
During the final game of the 2006–07 season, Sakic scored his 100th point of the year. This made him, at age 37, the second oldest player in NHL history, after Gordie Howe, to record 100 points in a regular season. He became the longest active tenured captain in the league, with fifteen seasons leading the Nordiques/Avalanche franchise, after the retirement of Steve Yzerman at the conclusion of the 2005–06 regular season. On March 22, 2008, against the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, Sakic recorded the 1000th assist of his career, the 11th player to do so. The gloves he wore in the game were later sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
Alongside Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...
, Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
, Sakic is one of four players to captain his team to a Stanley Cup championship and win the Hart Memorial Trophy in the same year. Sakic is also one of twenty-two members in the Triple Gold Club
Triple Gold Club
The Triple Gold Club is a term used to describe ice hockey players and coaches who have won an Olympic Games gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup, the championship trophy of the National Hockey League...
, a term used in ice hockey to describe players who have won an Olympic Gold medal, a World Championship Gold medal and the Stanley Cup.
Records
In his 20-year career with the Nordiques and Avalanche, Sakic has obtained nearly all of the franchise scoring records, including most all-time goals (625), assists (1016), and points (1641). He also holds the franchise record for most games played (1,363), and is on several notable NHL record lists:Leadership
Though Sakic was a quiet individual, he was able to motivate his team to play at higher levels, which earned him the respect of his peers and executives. The first signs of Sakic's leadership began to show while still a member of the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. After the bus crash that killed four of his teammates, Sakic was seen as the leader of the team, acknowledging that the experience changed his outlook on life. This was further proven during the summer of 1997 when the New York Rangers offered him a large contract, in order to replace captain Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
(who had left the team for the Vancouver Canucks), which under the rules of the NHL, the Avalanche were able to match.
One of the most defining actions of Sakic's career was at the conclusion of the 2001 playoffs. Defying the NHL tradition of the captain being the first to skate around with the Stanley Cup, Sakic passed it off to teammate Ray Bourque
Ray Bourque
Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player. He currently holds records for most goals, assists and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League . Bourque has become near-synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and...
. Bourque, one of the best defensemen to ever play, had been traded to the Avalanche the year before after spending 21 years with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and setting the record for most games played without winning the Cup. Sakic's handing of the trophy to Bourque is seen as just another example of Sakic's leadership abilities and how he performs through actions rather than words.
WHL and CHL
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| CHL Canadian Hockey League The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey... Player of the Year |
1988 |
| WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... East Second All-Star Team |
1987 |
| WHL East Player of the Year | 1987 |
| WHL East Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy The Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the top rookie in the Western Hockey League.The award is named after Jim Piggott who was the founder of the WHL's Saskatoon Blades, as well as one of the first presidents of the league.- Winners :... (Rookie of the Year) |
1987 |
| WHL East First All-Star Team | 1988 |
| WHL Bob Clarke Trophy Bob Clarke Trophy The Bob Clarke Trophy is awarded annually to the top scorer in the Western Hockey League.It is named after National Hockey League Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke who was one of the WHL's early stars... (Leading Scorer) |
1988 |
| WHL Player of the Year | 1988 |
NHL
| Award | Year(s) |
|---|---|
| Stanley Cup Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug... champion |
1996 1996 Stanley Cup Finals The 1996 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by two teams that had not existed three seasons before, the Colorado Avalanche and the Florida Panthers. The Avalanche won the Cup in a four game sweep to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup, in their first season in Denver since... , 2001 2001 Stanley Cup Finals The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion Colorado Avalanche, making the franchise's second Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and first since the team won the 1996 Finals. The... |
| Bud Light Plus/Minus NHL Plus/Minus Award The NHL Plus-Minus Award is a trophy awarded annually by the National Hockey League to the ice hockey "player, having played a minimum of 60 games who leads the league in plus/minus statistics." It is sponsored by a commercial business, and it has been known under five different names... Award (shared with Patrik Eliáš Patrik Elias Patrik Eliáš is a Czech professional hockey left winger and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League . A long-time Devil and currently the team's longest-tenured skater, Eliáš is the franchise's all-time leading scorer, while also holding franchise records for most... ) |
2001 |
| Conn Smythe Trophy Conn Smythe Trophy The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season... |
1996 |
| Hart Memorial Trophy Hart Memorial Trophy The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey", is awarded annually to the "player adjudged most valuable to his team" in the National Hockey League . The Hart Memorial Trophy has been awarded 86 times to 53 different... |
2001 |
| Lady Byng Memorial Trophy Lady Byng Memorial Trophy The Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, formerly known as the Lady Byng Trophy, is presented each year to the National Hockey League "player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability"... |
2001 |
| Lester B. Pearson Award Lester B. Pearson Award The Ted Lindsay Award, formerly known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players Association. It has been awarded 40 times to 23 different players since its beginnings... |
2001 |
| M.A.C. (Most Assists with Children) Award | 1998 |
| NHL All-Star Game MVP | 2004 |
| NHL First All-Star Team | 2001, 2002, 2004 |
| NHL/Sheraton Road Performer Award (most road points) | 2004 |
| NHL Foundation Player Award NHL Foundation Player Award The NHL Foundation Player Award is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player "who applies the core values of hockey—commitment, perseverance and teamwork—to enrich the lives of people in his community". The winner is given a grant of US$25,000 to help causes that the winner supports... |
2007 |
International
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games Ice Hockey Tournament Most Valuable Player | 2002 Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
| Winter Olympic Games Ice Hockey All-Star Team | 2002 |
- All awards taken from NHL.com
See also
- List of NHL statistical leaders
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
- List of NHL players with 500 goals