From Mike Chambers of The Denver Post
Avalanche captain Joe Sakic on Thursday officially announced he was hanging up his skates, his No. 19 jersey and the "C" stitched above his heart in an emotional news conference at the Inverness Hotel.
Citing heath concerns, including recent back surgery that zapped strength from his left leg, Sakic departs the NHL as the eighth-leading scorer in league history (1,641 points) amassed in 20 seasons.
The future Hockey Hall of Famer said his greatest moments included his 1988 NHL debut in Hartford, Conn.; winning the 1996 Stanley Cup in the franchise's first season in Denver; and capturing the 2002 Olympic gold medal with Team Canada.
"So many great memories and I'm leaving this game with all those memories," Sakic said near the end of his opening speech. "As a kid you dream of playing in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup, playing against your boyhood idols.
"To lift that Stanley Cup for the first time was a great thrill. Winning Game 7 here in Denver (in 2001), pretty amazing. Getting a chance to bring that Stanley Cup home for my family and friends to share — I really believe they had a lot more fun with that than I did — and to get a chance to represent your country, putting on the Canadian jersey, what an honor, what a thrill.
"It started in 1988 at the World Juniors, and (then) the World Championships and the World Cup, and to top it off, the Olympics, winning the gold in Salt Lake City. These are the things I'll always cherish, all the memories."
Avalanche president Pierre Lacroix, Gov. Bill Ritter, Avs defenseman Adam Foote and Denver Post columnist Woody Paige took the podium to speak about Sakic, the family man, and his magnificent career.
Gov. Ritter and Foote focused on Sakic's unselfishness, leadership and humility, each talking about Sakic accepting the 2001 Stanley Cup from commissioner Gary Bettman and allowing Ray Bourque to be the first to hoist the famous trophy.
Being a major-league sports figure makes you a celebrity, and some people do that a lot better than others," Ritter said. "Joe, you're in a class all of your own."
He added: "You played with great integrity, you played with grace, and you played with humility. Not only are they uncommon, but in combination in you they almost seem unique. We in this world, particularly where our sports figures are concerned, we want heroes, but we want those heroes to be role models, and we want them to be ambassadors for us, the team, the state, the country. You wound up being all those things.
"The one picture of you handing the Cup to Ray Bourque and allowed him to hoist it (first), maybe said as much as could be said about you and about your humility."
Foote, who will likely succeed Sakic as the Avs captain, said: "The one memory, other than the big clutch goals that we keep hearing about, that I think really shows what kind of person you are, that people have touched on and will never be forgotten, was when you were presented the second Stanley Cup.
"The humble superstar that you are, you stood back and let a gray-bearded 22-year seasoned veteran who was waiting patiently like a young boy on Christmas morning, hoist his first Stanley Cup.
"That class act of yours might go down in history as one of the NHL's most memorable moments that united the entire hockey world."
Sakic said his post-playing career will include hockey. He plans on coaching his two young sons, Mitchell and Chase, and is interested to continue more about NHL team managment.
Citing heath concerns, including recent back surgery that zapped strength from his left leg, Sakic departs the NHL as the eighth-leading scorer in league history (1,641 points) amassed in 20 seasons.
The future Hockey Hall of Famer said his greatest moments included his 1988 NHL debut in Hartford, Conn.; winning the 1996 Stanley Cup in the franchise's first season in Denver; and capturing the 2002 Olympic gold medal with Team Canada.
"So many great memories and I'm leaving this game with all those memories," Sakic said near the end of his opening speech. "As a kid you dream of playing in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup, playing against your boyhood idols.
"To lift that Stanley Cup for the first time was a great thrill. Winning Game 7 here in Denver (in 2001), pretty amazing. Getting a chance to bring that Stanley Cup home for my family and friends to share — I really believe they had a lot more fun with that than I did — and to get a chance to represent your country, putting on the Canadian jersey, what an honor, what a thrill.
"It started in 1988 at the World Juniors, and (then) the World Championships and the World Cup, and to top it off, the Olympics, winning the gold in Salt Lake City. These are the things I'll always cherish, all the memories."
Avalanche president Pierre Lacroix, Gov. Bill Ritter, Avs defenseman Adam Foote and Denver Post columnist Woody Paige took the podium to speak about Sakic, the family man, and his magnificent career.
Gov. Ritter and Foote focused on Sakic's unselfishness, leadership and humility, each talking about Sakic accepting the 2001 Stanley Cup from commissioner Gary Bettman and allowing Ray Bourque to be the first to hoist the famous trophy.
Being a major-league sports figure makes you a celebrity, and some people do that a lot better than others," Ritter said. "Joe, you're in a class all of your own."
He added: "You played with great integrity, you played with grace, and you played with humility. Not only are they uncommon, but in combination in you they almost seem unique. We in this world, particularly where our sports figures are concerned, we want heroes, but we want those heroes to be role models, and we want them to be ambassadors for us, the team, the state, the country. You wound up being all those things.
"The one picture of you handing the Cup to Ray Bourque and allowed him to hoist it (first), maybe said as much as could be said about you and about your humility."
Foote, who will likely succeed Sakic as the Avs captain, said: "The one memory, other than the big clutch goals that we keep hearing about, that I think really shows what kind of person you are, that people have touched on and will never be forgotten, was when you were presented the second Stanley Cup.
"The humble superstar that you are, you stood back and let a gray-bearded 22-year seasoned veteran who was waiting patiently like a young boy on Christmas morning, hoist his first Stanley Cup.
"That class act of yours might go down in history as one of the NHL's most memorable moments that united the entire hockey world."
Sakic said his post-playing career will include hockey. He plans on coaching his two young sons, Mitchell and Chase, and is interested to continue more about NHL team managment.
The team also announced they will retire Sakic's jersey at the home opener this year. He will be the 3rd member of the Avalanche to have his jersey retired. The others are Patrick Roy and Ray Bourque.
1 comment:
Say what you will about Mark Messier, but the best leader in hockey is the guy you have hoisting the Cup at the top of this pic.
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