You need a lot of leaders, but a hockey team needs a voice, not only in the community, but more importantly between the coaching staff and the players. There are always ups and downs in a season; the captain is the guy players look to in those situations.

This was further proven during the summer of 1997 when the New York Rangers offered him a large contract in order to replace captain Mark Messier (who had left the team for the Vancouver Canucks) which under the rules of the NHL the Avalanche were able to match. He led the Avalanche all the way to within one game of the Stanley Cup finals where they lost to the Stanley Cup winning Dallas Stars. I'm tired of hearing that name.

At the conclusion of the 2008–09 NHL season he was the eighth all-time points leader in the NHL as well as 14th in all-time goals and 11th in all-time assists. His wrist shot considered one of the best in the NHL was the source of much of his production as goalies around the league feared this shot. Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic (pron.