Sakic classy till the end

July 10, 2009   ·   Derek Felix   ·   Jump to comments

If there was a word to describe Joe Sakic, it would be classy. After 20 years with the Quebec/Colorado franchise  setting all sorts of club records while leading them from obscurity to hockey’s pinnacle (2 Stanley Cups), the face of the Nordiques/Avalanche officially called it quits yesterday during an emotional press conference.

There aren’t enough positive adjectives to say about such a consummate pro. When I think of the Quebec/Colorado captain, I think winner. He will go down as one of the greats to play this game. And in this day and age, to do it all with one franchise makes this No.19 not unlike another who donned the archrival Red Wing colors in Steve Yzerman.

So, after a tremendous 20 years, it’s over for the NHL’s quiet superstar. He was just a guy who did all his talking on the ice. And boy, did Sakic produce totaling 625 goals and 1,641 points for his career. That included six 100-point seasons including arguably his best ever in a memorable 2000-01 in which he netted 118 points (54-64-118), finishing three points behind Jaromir Jagr for the Art Ross. Most importantly, he swept the Hart and Pearson also leading his club past the Devils to their second Stanley Cup.

Few players got the better of Scott Stevens but Sakic can add that to his Hall of Fame resume. In watching that series, that’s what stood out over the goalie battle between Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur. I was mesmerized by Sakic’s uncanny ability to escape a ferocious Stevens check and then turn on the jets and finish with that patented wrist shot. One goal he scored is still shown on the highlight reel because it exemplified how special he was. You don’t just beat one of the best defensemen and most clutch goalies with skill but also with brains. Sakic had plenty of that which was why he was the unquestioned leader of a talented Colorado team that featured Peter Forsberg, Alex Tanguay, Chris Drury, Adam Foote, Ray Bourque, Rob Blake and Milan Hejduk.

What will always standout for me is that even minus Forsberg, Sakic led the Avs to their second Cup, proving he didn’t need one of the game’s best to win. Little did we know how banged up he was himself the final two rounds. You just never knew it by the way he performed.

“I didn’t think I could be the player I wanted to be,” the 16-year team captain said while wiping back tears. “I always said to myself that the minute I thought I’d slipped, and not be the player I wanted to be, it was time for me to go.”

“A humble superstar that you are, you stood back, you let a gray-bearded, 22-year seasoned veteran, who was waiting patiently like a young boy on Christmas morning, hoist his first Stanley Cup,” longtime teammate Foote praised.

“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.”

That kind of unselfishness made him so easy to respect. Even if you disliked the Avs, it was never because of Sakic. He just knew how to carry himself.

He finishes eighth on the all-time scoring list (1,641), 11th all-time in assists (1,016) and 14th in goals (625). There’s also this. Sakic finished fifth for most points with a franchise, trailing only Gordie Howe (1,809 w/Det), Yzerman (1,755 w/Det), Mario Lemieux (1,723 w/Pit) and Wayne Gretzky (1,669 w/Edm). Not bad company.

In 172 playoff games, Sakic finished with 84 goals and 104 assists for 188 points including a Conn Smythe worthy 34 (18-16-34, 6 GW) in the club’s first Cup (1995-96). Five years later, he split a pair of lucky 13′s totaling 26 for the franchise’s second championship.

The Avalanche will retire his No.19 before the first home game of the 2009-10 season. The NHL schedule gets released soon.

“I’m sad to see him leave the game,” former teammate Forsberg said. “I’m glad I got the chance to play alongside him for many years … He’s a very classy person and a great team leader.”