Joe Sakic

Joseph Steven Sakic (; (Croatian pronunciation: [ʃakitɕ]) born July 7, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player who currently serves as president of hockey operations and general manager of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent his entire 21-year NHL career, which lasted from 1988 to 2009, with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. Named captain of the team in 1992 (after serving as a co-captain in 1990–91). Sakic is regarded as one of the greatest team leaders in league history and was able to consistently motivate his team to play at a winning level. Nicknamed "Burnaby Joe", Sakic was named to 13 NHL All-Star Games and selected to the NHL First All-Star Team at centre three times. Sakic led the Avalanche to two first-place regular season finishes in 1997 and 2001, and two Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001, earning the most valuable player (MVP) in the 1996 playoffs. In 2001, Sakic earned both the Hart Memorial Trophy and Lester B. Pearson Award as MVP of the NHL. He is one of six players to participate in the first two of the team's Stanley Cup victories. He won the Stanley Cup a third time with the Avalanche in 2022 while serving as the team's general manager. Sakic became the fourth person, after Milt Schmidt, Serge Savard and Lester Patrick to win the Stanley Cup with the same franchise as a player and general manager. Over his career, Sakic was one of the most productive forwards in the game, scoring 50 goals twice and earning at least 100 points in six different seasons. Sakic's wrist shot, considered one of the best in the NHL, was the source of much of his production as goalies around the league feared his rapid snap-shot release....