Holy Joe

The past year in Denver, sports fans have watched an inexperienced coach dismantle a talented team, a spoiled young QB demand a trade, a spoiled young WR get in trouble with the law again - and then demand a trade, and an all-star outfielder turn down a $16 mil/year contract with the team that raised him in hopes of finding a bigger deal elsewhere.

It's enough to make even the most dedicated, local fan nauseous. It seems as if there is no longer any remnant of loyalty, class or commitment in pro sports today.

But then there's Joe Sakic.

"Burnaby Joe," as he is known internationally (or "Super Joe" as he is known to Avalanche fans), was the type of athlete who made you proud to be a sports fan.

Not only did he remain - incredibly - with the same franchise (Quebec/Colorado) for all 20 of his seasons in the NHL (and several times turned down potentially bigger contracts to do so), he excelled enormously throughout his career.

Sakic ranks 8th all time in the NHL for points, 7th in postseason points, and 1st in playoff OT goals - a stat that helped make him a Denver legend, helping leading the Avs to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001.

He is one of just six players in NHL history to record 600 goals and 1,000 assists in his career, alongside some guys named Gretzky, Howe and Lemieux.

And Joe not only excelled in the NHL, but also in international play, leading Canada to the Gold Medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics, becoming one of only 22 players in history to win a Stanley Cup, Olympic gold medal and a World Championshp gold medal.

But what made Joe so endearing to fans was his quiet demeanor, his "lead by example" style, his selflessness and commitment to his family and community. Sakic's charity work is estimated to have given over 7 million meals to underpriveleged children.

With all of the records, statistics, medals and cups, the thing that Avs (and Nordique) fans will always remember about Joe was that he was the ultimate professional - a man who never placed himself before his teammates or his work.

No Avs fan will ever forget June 9, 2001. The Avs had just won an emotional second Stanley Cup, made more dramatic by the recent addition of Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque, who joined the Avs in hopes of winning the first Cup of his career.

Though tradition holds for the captain of the Stanley Cup winner to receive and take the first skate with Lord Stanley's cup, "Super Joe" immediately handed it off to an ecstatic Bourque.

Joe knew he would have his time in the sun, though he never asked for it.

Here's hoping the sun shines bright over Burnaby the rest of his life.

Thanks, Joe.