Joe Sakic facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joe Sakic
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2012
Sakic with the Colorado Avalanche in 1997
Born	(1969-07-07) July 7, 1969 (age 56) Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Quebec Nordiques Colorado Avalanche
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	15th overall, 1987 Quebec Nordiques
Playing career	1988–2009

Joe Sakic, born on July 7, 1969, is a Canadian hockey legend. He played his whole 21-year career in the National Hockey League (NHL) with one team: the Quebec Nordiques and later the Colorado Avalanche. Joe was the team's captain starting in 1992. Many people think he was one of the best leaders in hockey history.

People called him "Burnaby Joe." He played in 13 NHL All-Star Games and was chosen as the best center three times. Sakic led the Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001. In 1996, he was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the playoffs. In 2001, he won the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Lester B. Pearson Award as the NHL's MVP. He is one of only six players to win the Stanley Cup twice with the same team. Sakic also won the Stanley Cup a third time in 2022 as the team's general manager. He is one of only three people to win the Stanley Cup with the same team as both a player and a general manager.

Throughout his career, Sakic was a top scorer. He scored 50 goals twice and had over 100 points in six different seasons. His wrist shot was famous and goalies found it very hard to stop. When he retired in 2009, Sakic was the eighth all-time points leader in the NHL. He was also 14th in goals and 11th in assists.

In 2002, Sakic helped Team Canada win its first Olympic ice hockey gold medal in 50 years. He was also named the MVP of that tournament. Sakic played for Team Canada in six other international competitions.

Sakic retired from playing in 2009. His jersey number 19 was retired by the Avalanche. In 2012, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was also named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017.

Early Life and Hockey Beginnings

Joe Sakic was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. His parents, Marijan and Slavica Šakić, were immigrants from Croatia. Joe grew up speaking Croatian and did not learn English until kindergarten.

When he was four, Sakic went to his first NHL game. After watching, he decided he wanted to be a hockey player. Joe was a smaller player, so he learned to use skill instead of size. He looked up to his idol, Wayne Gretzky. People even called him "a new Wayne Gretzky in the making" because he was so good.

Sakic scored 83 goals and 156 points in 80 games for his youth team, the Burnaby BC Selects. He then joined the Lethbridge Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 1985–86.

Playing in the WHL

In the 1986–87 season, Sakic's team moved and became the Swift Current Broncos. In his first full season, he scored 60 goals and 73 assists for 133 points. He was named the WHL Rookie of the Year.

However, that season also brought a tragedy. On December 30, 1986, the team bus crashed in bad weather. Four of Sakic's teammates were killed. Joe was not hurt, but the event deeply affected him. He rarely spoke about it during his career.

The next year, in 1987–88, Sakic was named the WHL Most Valuable Player. He also won the Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year award. He scored an amazing 160 points (78 goals, 82 assists), tying for the WHL scoring title.

NHL Career Highlights

Starting with the Nordiques

The Quebec Nordiques drafted Sakic 15th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. He chose to play one more year in Swift Current to get ready for the NHL.

Sakic played his first NHL game on October 6, 1988. He got an assist in that game. Two days later, he scored his first NHL goal. In his first season, Sakic wore number 88 because his favorite number 19 was already taken. He finished his rookie season with 62 points in 70 games.

In his second NHL season (1989–90), Sakic got his number 19 back. He scored 102 points, which was ninth best in the league. He was the first player in NHL history to score 100 points on a last-place team.

For the 1990–91 season, Sakic became a co-captain of the Nordiques. He scored 109 points that year, ranking sixth in the league. The Nordiques were one of the worst teams in the league for several years. Sakic showed his leadership during a tough time when star player Eric Lindros refused to play for the team. Sakic said, "We only want players here who have the passion to play the game." Lindros was traded later, and the team got many good players in return.

Leading the Colorado Avalanche

Starting in the 1992–93 season, Sakic became the only captain of the Nordiques. Under his leadership, the team made the playoffs for the first time in six years. Sakic reached 100 points again, scoring 48 goals and 105 points.

In May 1995, the Nordiques team was sold and moved to Denver, Colorado. They were renamed the Colorado Avalanche. Sakic led the team to win the Stanley Cup in their very first year in Colorado! He scored 120 points in the regular season and 34 points in 22 playoff games. Sakic won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 1996 NHL playoffs. He scored 18 goals in the playoffs, including six game-winners, which set a new record.

Sakic playing with the Avalanche in 1997

In the 1996–97 season, Sakic played in fewer games due to an injury. Still, he scored 74 points. The Avalanche won their first Presidents' Trophy for having the best regular season record. They made it to the conference finals but lost.

In 1997, Sakic signed a big contract offer from the New York Rangers. The Avalanche had one week to match the offer or lose Sakic. Luckily, the movie Air Force One, produced by the Avalanche owners, made a lot of money. This helped the Avalanche match the offer and keep Sakic. This event also helped many other NHL players get higher salaries.

Sakic faced more injuries in the 1997–98 season, missing 18 games. But he still scored 63 points and made his seventh All-Star appearance. In the 1998–99 season, Sakic bounced back, finishing fifth in the league with 41 goals and 96 points. The Avalanche almost reached the Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Dallas Stars.

Milestones and Second Cup

During the 1999–2000 season, Sakic reached several big milestones. On December 27, 1999, he got an assist to reach 1,000 career points. He was the 56th player in NHL history to do this. Later, on March 23, 2000, he scored a hat-trick and became the 59th player to score 400 career goals. He also passed Peter Šťastný as the team's all-time leading scorer.

Sakic had an amazing 2000–01 season, scoring 118 points and a career-best 54 goals. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, and the Lester B. Pearson Award. Sakic led the Avalanche to their second Stanley Cup championship, beating the New Jersey Devils in seven games.

A memorable moment happened after they won. When Sakic received the Stanley Cup, he broke tradition. Instead of lifting it first, he immediately passed it to his teammate Ray Bourque. Bourque had played for 22 seasons without winning the Cup, and Sakic wanted him to lift it first.

Sakic continued to lead the Avalanche in scoring in the 2001–02 season. On March 9, 2002, he played in his 1,000th career game. The Avalanche reached the Western Conference Finals again but lost.

Sakic warming up before a game in 2007

After the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Avalanche had to let go of many key players. Even with these changes, Sakic helped the team make the playoffs. In June 2006, Sakic signed a one-year deal to stay with the Avalanche. When Steve Yzerman retired, Sakic became the active player with the most career points in the league.

Sakic had another strong season in 2006–07. He scored his 600th career goal on February 15, 2007. On the last day of the season, Sakic scored his 100th point. At 37 years old, he became the second-oldest NHL player, after Gordie Howe, to score 100 points in a season.

In October 2007, Sakic passed Phil Esposito to become eighth on the NHL career points list. Nineteen days later, he reached his 1,600th point. Injuries limited his playing time in his final seasons. In 2008, he broke three fingers in a snow-blower accident while recovering from a back injury.

Sakic announced his retirement on July 9, 2009. The Avalanche retired his jersey number 19 before their 2009–10 season opener. The "C" on his banner represents his long time as team captain.

All-Star Games

Sakic was chosen for the NHL All-Star Game 13 times and played in 12 of them. He was a captain for two of these games. He scored at least one point in 11 of his All-Star appearances.

Sakic won the MVP award in the 2004 All-Star Game after scoring three goals. He is the all-time leader in All-Star Game assists with 16. He is also third in all-time All-Star scoring with 22 points.

International Play for Canada

Sakic (no. 91) at the 2006 Olympics
Medal record
Representing Canada
Olympics
Gold	2002 Salt Lake City
World Championships
Gold	1994 Italy
Silver	1991 Finland
World Cup
Gold	2004 World Cup
Silver	1996 World Cup
World Junior Championships
Gold	1988 Soviet Union

Sakic played for Team Canada in seven international competitions. He helped the Canadian junior team win the 1988 World Junior Championship.

In the 1991 World Championships, Team Canada won the silver medal. Sakic scored eleven points in ten games.

Sakic's first big success in a professional tournament was the 1994 World Championships. Canada won its first gold medal in that tournament since 1961. Sakic's seven points were very important for the team.

His first Olympic appearance was in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. This was the first time NHL players could play in the Olympics. Sakic scored three points, but Canada finished fourth.

Sakic's second Olympic appearance was in 2002 in Salt Lake City. He played strongly, and the Canadian team reached the gold medal game against Team USA. Sakic scored four points and helped Canada win its first gold medal in 50 years. He was named MVP of the tournament and became one of the first Canadian members of the Triple Gold Club. This club is for players who have won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup.

Sakic also helped Canada win the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where he scored six points. In 2005, Sakic was named captain of Canada for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Canada was expected to win, but they finished seventh.

Executive Career

After retiring as a player, Sakic took some time off. In 2011, he returned to the Avalanche organization. He became an executive advisor and alternate governor. In this role, he advised the team on hockey matters.

On June 26, 2012, Sakic was chosen for the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He was inducted on November 12, 2012.

On May 10, 2013, the Avalanche promoted Sakic to executive vice president of hockey operations. He had the final say on all decisions about hockey players. The next year, Sakic was officially named general manager.

Sakic's time as general manager had some tough moments. In the 2016–17 season, the team finished in last place. Sakic later said he thought he might be fired. However, this tough season led to the Avalanche drafting future star defenseman Cale Makar. Sakic also made smart trades for players like Nazem Kadri and Devon Toews.

The Avalanche won the Presidents' Trophy in the 2020–21 season. The next year, in 2022, they won the Stanley Cup! Sakic became only the third person to win a Stanley Cup with the same team as both a player and a general manager. For his work in the 2021–22 season, Sakic won the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.

On July 11, 2022, the Avalanche announced that Sakic would become the President of Hockey Operations. He handed the general manager role to his assistant, Chris MacFarland.

Personal Life

Joe Sakic and his wife Debbie have three children: Mitchell (born 1996) and twins Chase and Kamryn (born 2000). Sakic and Debbie met in high school when he was playing in Swift Current. They often visit the town in the off-season.

Sakic loves to play golf. He even competed in a celebrity golf tournament. Every summer during his playing career, Sakic hosted his own charity golf tournament. This event helped the Food Bank of the Rockies. His charity work has provided millions of meals to children and families in need. He won an NHL Foundation Player Award in 2007 for his efforts.

Sakic is very popular in his hometown of Burnaby. A street there is named Joe Sakic Way in his honor. In British Columbia, he is known as "Burnaby Joe," and in Colorado, he is called "Super Joe." His younger brother, Brian, also played hockey. Sakic even had a small role in the movie Happy Gilmore.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play Statistics

All-Star Games Statistics

Joe Sakic's Legacy

Amazing Milestones

Sakic reached his 1,000th career point on December 27, 1999. He was the 11th player to reach 1,500 points on October 25, 2006. He was also the sixth player to do this with only one team.

Sakic played his 1,000th career game on March 9, 2002. His 500th career goal came on December 11, 2002. On February 15, 2007, he scored his 600th career goal. He also got his 900th assist on March 12, 2006.

In his final game of the 2006–07 season, Sakic scored his 100th point of the year. This made him the second-oldest player in NHL history, after Gordie Howe, to get 100 points in a season.

Sakic was the longest-serving active captain in the league. He led the Nordiques/Avalanche team for fifteen seasons. On March 22, 2008, he recorded his 1,000th career assist. He was the 11th player in NHL history to do this. The gloves he wore in that game are now in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Sakic is one of only four players to captain his team to a Stanley Cup and win the Hart Memorial Trophy in the same year. The others are Bobby Clarke, Wayne Gretzky, and Mark Messier. Sakic is also a member of the Triple Gold Club.

Records Held

Sakic retired holding almost every scoring record for the Nordiques/Avalanche team. This includes most goals (625), assists (1,016), and points (1,641). He also played the most games for the franchise (1,363).

Sakic holds several important NHL records too. He has the most All-Star game assists (16) and the most playoff overtime goals (8).

Great Leadership Qualities

Sakic with Paul Šťastný. When Sakic entered the NHL, he was mentored by Peter Šťastný, Paul's father.

Early in his career, some people criticized Sakic because his team did not win much. The Nordiques were often one of the worst teams in the league. But after leading the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in 1996, Sakic was seen as a true leader. He became one of the league's top players.

Even though Sakic was a quiet person, he could inspire his team to play at their best. This earned him the respect of other players and team executives. His leadership first showed when he was with the Swift Current Broncos. After the bus crash that killed his teammates, Sakic became a leader for the team.

A famous moment that showed Sakic's leadership was after the 2001 playoffs. When he received the Stanley Cup, he did not lift it first. Instead, he immediately passed it to his teammate Ray Bourque. Bourque had played for 21 years without winning the Cup, and Sakic wanted him to have that special moment.

In 2004, when Steve Yzerman was injured and could not play for Team Canada, Sakic and Joe Thornton both refused to wear Yzerman's number 19. They did this out of respect for their injured teammate, even though they both wore number 19 for their NHL teams.

Sakic's leadership helped the Avalanche stay strong even after they lost key players after their 2001 Stanley Cup win.

Awards and Honors

WHL and CHL Awards

NHL Awards

International Awards

• All awards taken from NHL.com

Other Honors

• In October 2022, he was inducted into the Croatian-American Sports Hall of Fame.

See also

In Spanish: Joe Sakic para niños

• List of NHL statistical leaders
• List of NHL players with 1000 points
• List of NHL players with 500 goals