The Sports Corner

Farewell Burnaby Joe?

Will this be the last season for Canada’s Captain Clutch, Joe Sakic?

Sakic has played in the NHL for 20 years, spending his entire career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche.

This season, Sakic was hampered by injuries and he played in only 15 games this season, scoring two goals and getting 10 assists.

Being one of his biggest fans, I’d like to see him come back and end his brilliant career on a good note, but his health concerns, back, leg and fingers, might hold him back and force him to retire.

He’s a hard worker and a fighter in every sense of the word and if he’s anything like me, he’d hate to end a career on a downer like the 2008-09 season.

Whatever the decision is though, his résumé is no doubt impressive.

Twenty years in the NHL, two Stanley Cup wins in 1996 and 2001, six 100-point seasons, 13 All-Star games, received many NHL awards, 8th all-time in points and he has worn the maple leaf on the front of his jersey in seven international competitions, including three trips to the Olympics.

He had played for the Nordiques for four years before he was named captain of the team and still holds that title to this day as a member of the Avalanche.

In his younger years, Sakic modeled his game after his idol, Wayne Gretzky, and had a good work ethic, which helped him advance quicker in his hockey career.

He played for the Lethbridge/Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League for three years before being called up to the show in Quebec City.

He had a lot of success in the WHL, being named Rookie of the Year in 1987 after having a 133-point season, scoring 60 goals and assisting 73. He was named the MVP and Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year the very next season.

Sakic made his NHL debut on October 6, 1988 in a game against the Hartford Whalers, getting his first point, an assist, in that game. He scored his first goal two games later.

He ended his 70-game, rookie season with 62 points, being a front runner for the Calder Trophy, but an ankle injury that led to a scoring slump shot down any chance of that.

Whatever you choose to do Joe, I’d just like to say you had an amazing run, compiling a huge fanbase along the way, and I hope you come back for one more long and healthy season.