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Entries with the tag: Joe+Sakic

Sakic Recovering From Back Surgery

DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that captain Joe Sakic underwent successful surgery for a herniated disc and is expected to be out approximately 10 weeks.

“After weeks of rehabilitation, it was determined that surgery was the safest path to a complete recovery,” said Avalanche Team Physician Andrew Parker. “This was our best option and the surgery went as expected.”

“I understand that this was the best way for me to return to the ice, so now my focus and goal will be to get back as soon as possible to help my teammates in the final weeks of the season,” said Sakic.

The Avalanche captain will be resting at home for the next seven to 10 days recovering from this procedure

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Hand Surgery For Sakic

DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that captain Joe Sakic underwent surgery last night to repair three broken fingers and tendon damage. He is expected to miss approximately three months. 

“Joe’s surgery was performed by a hand specialist,” said Avalanche Team Doctor Andy Parker. “The procedure went well and he’s expected to make a full recovery.”

The incident happened at his house yesterday afternoon involving a snow blower.

The Avalanche captain will continue to receive treatment for the herniated disc in his back while he recovers from the surgery.

added 1:35pm, from Adrian Dater of All Things Avs,

Avalanche vice president Jean Martineau said the accident happened to Sakic’s left hand, and that severe tendon damage occurred to one finger. That same finger and two others were broken.

“Basically, it’s a mistake. He’s a 39-year-old adult who made a mistake,” Martineau said. “He put his hand where he should not have put it. He’s, in a way, lucky. He’ll have a full recovery.”

Martineau said he visited Sakic in an unidentified hospital this morning, and that he was “very upset with himself.”

more

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 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Sakic & Foote Hurting, Season May Be Over For Avs

from Adrian Dater of All Things Avs,

The news isn’t good from the Avalanche’s morning skate: Sakic won’t play tonight against Tampa Bay, and his status is now listed as “indefinite.” We could be in the throes of a sad end to No. 19’s brilliant career. One last “clean” in the weight room - one last clean that he said he wasn’t even going to do, but said he did anyway in a kind of “what the heck?” manner - has hijacked Sakic’s and the Avs’ season....

It’s not a good situation, and this, I believe, will sink this listing Avs team for good this year. This team just doesn’t believe in itself, doesn’t have enough passion and - from what I have witnessed - doesn’t have the close kind of chemistry of the last few teams....

Here’s the other news from the skate: Adam Foote has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 22. Former DU defenseman Aaron MacKenzie has been recalled from Lake Erie and will be available tonight (although probably won’t be in the lineup).

Foote’s upper back (neck) is still bothering him, and this mysterious knee injury has also crept into the situation. Injuries like these are what can happen when a stiff, no-talent, cheap-shot artist forward like John Zeiler runs you from behind.

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Adam+Foote, Joe+Sakic,

Sakic Out Again With Bad Back

from Adrian Dater of All Things Avs,

He took one shift - 28 seconds - before shutting it down for the day because his back was bad.

This is obviously a red-siren, MAJOR setback for Cap and the Avs. He has, in essense, missed eight of the last nine games now. He has yet to play a full game in any of the three he’s allegedly been healthy enough to play in those last nine.

This is serious. A bad back can very often mean the end of a player’s career. Knowing the Avalanche and their medical staff, I would bet the ranch that they will now shut Sakic down for at least another few games and try to get this thing cured.

more on the Avs loss to Phoenix today…

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 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Tests For Sakic

via the Rocky Mountain News,

Avalanche captain Joe Sakic didn’t practice today because of a sore back and is undergoing tests to determine how serious the problem is. He played the first period Saturday against Nashville after missing Thursday’s game with Minnesota. Hoping to get some sort of results later today.

Meanwhile, forward Scott Parker’s contract with the Avalanche has been terminated by the team. The “Sheriff” was assigned to the Lake Erie Monsters in the American Hockey League on Oct. 17 after being activated from the injured list—he had a concussion—but he never reported.

The Avalanche said he has become an unrestricted free agent. I’ve been trying to get in contact with his agent and with the NHL Players Association to get their take on the situation.

added 7:24pm, from the Rocky Mountain News,

The good news for the Avalanche and Joe Sakic is that no structural damage was found today during tests on the captain’s back.

Sakic is being listed as day to day. He’ll be evaluated on a daily basis, so it isn’t known if he’ll be able to play Wednesday in Vancouver.

more on the Avs…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic, Scott+Parker,

Joe Sakic Signs 1 Year Deal

From the Colorado Avalanche:

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today the signing of Joe Sakic to a one-year contract.

“I am happy to announce the signing of Joe Sakic to a one-year contract,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President and General Manager Francois Giguere. “Our entire organization is very excited to have Joe back for another season. As the only captain of the Avalanche, his record of achievement speaks for itself. Having him return is great for our franchise and community, but also for the game of hockey.”

“Ultimately it came down to the fact that I still enjoy playing and competing,” said Sakic. “I’m comfortable with my conditioning and my overall health. I’m ready for the start of camp and am looking forward to the upcoming season.”

Update 5:33pm ET:
According to Adrian Dater, Sakic’s one year deal is for $6 million.

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: joe+sakic,

They’ll Be Back

from Stan Fischler at the Hockey Journal,

While Mats Sundin and Joe Sakic have kept half the civilized hockey world holding its breath over their play-or-not-to-play decision, we’ll unequivocally assert that each will return to the NHL for 2008-09. The reason is as obvious as a $6 million contract. Who’s kidding whom? These guys love the moolah – and attention – as much as Sean Avery and Alley Oop Ovechkin.

If either of them packs it in, it’ll be the upset of the half-century; roughly equivalent to the shrinking of Patrick Roy’s ego.

many more NHL bits…

Filed in: | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic, Mats+Sundin,

Imagine If They All Left

from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

Mats Sundin may be getting all the ink, but he is not the only established, prominent NHL player unsure of his plans for the coming season.

Without nearly the same interest or fanfare, three of his contemporaries — Joe Sakic, Teemu Selanne and Brendan Shanahan — are all facing a similar predicament.

Call them the 4-S club, a quartet of future Hall of Famers pondering what a life without hockey might be like and not sure whether the time is right to walk away.

How dramatic would their departures be? Consider that with Jaromir Jagr shuffling off to Russia, that group represents four of the NHL’s top six active-points leaders. All, except Sundin, have won the Stanley Cup.

continued and good to see Eric back, hockey season must be getting close!

Filed in: | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Brendan+Shanahan, Joe+Sakic, Mats+Sundin, Teemu+Selanne,

Detective Dater

from Adrian Dater of the Denver Post,

But I’ll go on record right now and say his decision will be to come back. There are too many clues to say otherwise.

Among them: Sakic is still working out hard. If you were about to retire after two decades in the NHL, would you still want to hit the gym every morning, or might you want to tip back a few every afternoon on the 19th hole?

When he talks to teammates, he’s still using the word “we,” not “them.” True, Gordie Howe still refers to the Red Wings as “we” when he talks about them, but that didn’t happen for at least a decade after he left Detroit and played in Houston and Hartford.

more

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 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Sakic Will Make Decision Soon (I Hope So)

from CBC,

Colorado Avalanche star Joe Sakic told a Denver radio station on Monday that it has been difficult deciding whether to return for a 20th NHL season, and he will make up his mind soon.

“I will say I don’t want this to linger too much longer. I should make my final decision pretty soon,” Sakic told radio station KJCD. “Whatever that is, I want to make sure it’s 100 per cent sure."…

“At the end of the year, to be honest with you, I didn’t know if I was going to come back,” he told the radio station. “I needed that time to really think about my future. It was a tougher decision than I thought it was going to be at the end of the year.”

more

added 2:12pm, more from Sakic…

from Terry Frei of the Denver Post,

“It’s just how I feel,” he said. “At the end of the year, to be honest with you, I didn’t know if I was going to come back. I needed that time to really think about my future. It was a tougher decision than I thought it was going to be at the end of the year. . . It’s all about whether I feel I’m ready to go another year. That’s the biggest thing for me: Am I prepared to do what it takes to be successful for another year. I know how much time you have to put in off the ice because playing hockey is the easy part.”

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Sakic Still Undecided About Return

from Sam Adams of the Rocky Mountain News,

After Sakic and I made a 572-yard walk together up the 18th fairway at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course on Thursday, he didn’t have an answer for me.

“I wish I had an answer to give. At the end of the day, it’s how I feel, if I want to do another year or not,” the Avalanche captain said during his round of play in the celebrity tourney....

I came here believing Sakic would call it a career. But being around him briefly Thursday, and hearing him use the term “we” several times, it sounded as if Sakic has more than a Favre-like itch to return.

“Camp is not until Sept. 18, so I still have a little time to figure it out,” he said. “I’ve talked to (Avalanche general manager) Francois (Giguere) a couple of times, and we’re all good.

“Now it’s weighing the options. I just want to make sure the decision is 100 percent and you don’t go back on it. The good thing is, I still have two months....”

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Sakic Delays Decision

from Adrian Dater of the Denver Post,

Joe Sakic has further extended the time he needs to decide whether to return to the Avalanche — and it could hamper the team’s free-agency spending plans.

Sakic “definitely will not decide by July 1,” Avalanche vice president Jean Martineau said Monday night. That is the date when NHL players can become free agents.

The Avalanche is maintaining public support for Sakic, but his indecision could hamstring the team and take it out as a possible player in the free-agent market.

continued

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 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Avs Start Contract Talks with Foote, Sauer

From Rick Sadowski at the Rocky Mountain News,

The agents for defensemen Adam Foote and Kurt Sauer have had preliminary contract talks with the Avalanche and expect to resume discussions shortly before or during the June 20-21 NHL draft.

Foote and Sauer will be eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1.

continued...

In other not-particularly-fascinating-but-still-suggestive Avalanche news, Adrian Dater mentioned (in his Denver Post blog yesterday) that Joe Sakic has recently been spotted in a local gym. He added this note:

That has to be a good sign, right? If I had said “Joe Sakic has been seen at the all-you-can-eat Pizza Hut lunch buffet for five days straight”, that wouldn’t be such a good thing, right?

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: adam+foote, joe+sakic, kurt+sauer,

Decision Time For Sakic

from Adrian Dater of All Things Avs,

The thing that makes me wonder a little more whether he’ll retire, though, is this: I wonder if Sakic was maybe a little scared by this last series, at how much better Datsyuk and Zetterberg were than him or anyone else up front on the Avs. They just zipped past anybody on the ice, including No. 19, and when a great player no longer feels he can dominate any opponent anymore, no matter who they are, they lose the thing inside that made them the best in the first place.

read on

Wondering if Joe Sakic was “scared” is really hard to believe.  Perhaps ‘has realized’, ‘the writing may be on the wall’, ‘looked a half-step behind’ would be a better fit, but one thing for sure, Sakic is not “scared”!

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Come Back Joe

from Pierre LeBrun of Sportsnet,

For the record, Sakic told reporters again this week in Denver that he wouldn’t be making that decision until this summer. It’s obviously the kind of decision that needs time and reflection.

I think the decision has never been tougher for him. Turning 39 on July 7, Sakic knows Father Time has his finger on the buzzer. Right now he just needs a timeout to make the hardest call in his career.

The Avalanche want him back, that’s a no-brainer. The only question is whether Sakic wants to come back.

I certainly hope so. He’s one of the classiest NHL players I have ever been around in my time around the game. It’s easy to show class when times are good, but what set Sakic apart is that he exhibited it all the time. I’m too young to have been around Jean Beliveau, but I think I have an idea what it’s like to be around a player that’s so well respected.

more

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 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

This Could Be It For Sakic

from Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post,

Although Sakic feels blessed to have spent 19 NHL seasons with a single organization and won loyal admiration from Quebec City to Denver, his decision to stay or go must ultimately be made alone, after input and heartfelt support from family and team.

Nevertheless, every cheering, banner-waving fan in the Avalanche’s home arena must realize we are guaranteed no more than one more chance to tell Sakic what Denver thinks about a man who has done this city and his sport so very proud.

Don’t go, Joe.

If that’s the way you feel, do not hesitate to tell him so.

more

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 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Goodbye Joe?

from Terry Frei of the Denver Post,

Could this be Joe Sakic’s last postseason before retirement?

Could this playoff run — however long it lasts — be the last Avalanche fans see of him in a Colorado uniform before he stands at a podium, likely wipes away a tear or two, and says it was fun while it lasted?

Sakic has always had that knack of avoiding crushing contact — not running from it, but minimizing it with deft and instinctive maneuvering. That’s one of the secrets of his longevity, resilience and long-term effectiveness.

He has the same sense of anticipation for oncoming questions.

read on

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Welcome Back Joe

from the Colorado Avalanche,

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that it has activated forward Joe Sakic from the Injured Reserve list. He will be available to play in tonight’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.

continued

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 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

“You Can’t Believe It Happened”

I missed this story from February 1st…

from Roy MacGregor of the Globe and Mail,

They learned all about death here in Swift Current 21 years ago when the bus carrying the local heroes, the Broncos of the Western Hockey League, caught black ice and whipping wind in the wrong combination coming out of that very first curve, flew off the Trans-Canada and crashed, leaving four young hockey players lifeless.

And they learned it again 21 days ago when, four provinces and two time zones away, a van carrying the Phantoms, a high-school basketball team from Bathurst, N.B., slid in bad weather into a transport trailer, killing seven players and the coach’s wife.

“It hit home, that’s for sure,” says Joe Sakic, the Broncos star who survived that long-ago crash and went on to a spectacular career with the Quebec Nordiques and the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League.

read on

read on

Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, Minor League | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

A Look At Sakic

from Adrian Dater of the Denver Post,

It’s possible we could soon witness the final month or two of Sakic’s marvelous career. He’s still rehabbing a serious injury, one that has made skating impossible for weeks now, and he’ll be 39 in five months. There are some around the longtime captain who hint this could be it if his body doesn’t respond.

If that is the case, just in case, get your tickets now for the Avs’ final home games. If this season is the end for Sakic, it’ll probably be a long time before we see someone of his kind again.

But if I were a betting man, I’d say we’ll see more of No. 19 beyond this year. Don’t forget: The next Winter Olympics are in his hometown of Vancouver, and Sakic would dearly love to play on one last Canadian team in front of friends and family.

more on Sakic…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

No “Panic” Trade For Avs

from Pierre LeBrun of Sportsnet,

A panic trade is not in the cards for the Colorado Avalanche after losing veteran star centre Joe Sakic for eight-to-12 weeks following his hernia surgery.

“Anytime you lose a good player it’s a blow but every team goes through that,” Avalanche GM Francois Giguere told Sportsnet.ca on Friday. `"You never expect to go through an entire season without losing good players to injury. This gives other players on our team a chance to step up and show what they can do.

“So as far as making a move from the outside (a trade), we’re always looking to improve our team. But this is going to be a good chance for our youngers players to show what they have.”

continued

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Surgery For Sakic

via the Colorado Avalanche,

Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that Joe Sakic will undergo hernia surgery. He will be sidelined approximately eight to 12 weeks.

“Joe’s rehabilitation has not progressed as anticipated and upon further evaluation the decision has been made to perform surgery in order for him to fully recover,” said Avalanche Team Physician Andy Parker. 

“After consulting with the doctors we believe this procedure will enable me to return to the lineup,” added the Avalanche captain.

added 8:38pm, link now available at the Avs website…

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic,

Sakic Nearing a Milestone

From Jim Morris at the CP (via Yahoo)

But won’t it be special to become only the 11th player in league history to reach 1,000 assists?

“We’ll see when we get there I guess,” Sakic said after a pause. “Not that many players have gotten to that. It would be a tremendous honour, obviously. I haven’t thought too much about it.”

From some players the false modestly would sound contrived. But from Sakic the words sound as honest as the work ethic he delivers each night.

more... about Sakic and the team

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: colorado+avalanche, joe+sakic,

Home Sweet Home in Denver

From Mike Chambers at the Denver Post,

Joe Sakic, the only remaining player to have competed for the Avalanche franchise when it was in Quebec, was a Nordique the last time the franchise began 5-0 at home.

That would be 13 years ago, and that’s where the Avs stand after riding Sakic’s two assists and Peter Budaj’s 21 saves in a 3-1 victory Sunday over the Minnesota Wild at the Pepsi Center.

continued...

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: colorado+avalanche, joe+sakic,

Buccigross Ponders

John Buccigross at ESPN ponders 10 stories from the past week:

4. It’s just a fantasy, it’s not the real thing
Good exchange between Joe Sakic and The Denver Post’s Adrian Dater:

Question from Dater: Do you ever hear from fantasy hockey team owners with stuff like, “You cost me a win last week” or “You won me 300 bucks”?

Answer from Sakic: Yeah, you hear from ‘em. I actually have one friend who traded me last year. He told me, too. He was like, “Sorry, had to trade you, bud.”

more... highlighted stories from Buccigross

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: colorado+avalanche, joe+sakic, media,

Joe Sakic Feeds the Hungry

From Adrian Dater at the Denver Post

Joe Sakic has helped give Coloradans two Stanley Cups since 1996. More important, however, Sakic and his wife, Debbie, have helped serve 8,581,248 meals to hungry people in the state since 1998.  That is the exact number, according to Food Bank of the Rockies official Kristina Cordova, with the promise of many more to come.

For that and many other reasons, Sakic on Monday was given the ninth annual NHL Foundation Player Award, for recognition of his commitment and service to charities in his community.  In recognition, the NHL will present a $25,000 check tonight, before the Avalanche’s game with the Calgary Flames at the Pepsi Center, to the pediatrics oncology unit at Children’s Hospital.

“Joe is probably the most sincere person I’ve ever met in my life,” Cordova said. “He’s very involved with us. He’s always asking about ways to do more. He’s always saying, ‘We’ve got to do it for the kids.’ He and Debbie have just done so much for this community. People don’t know.”

continued...

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: colorado+avalanche, joe+sakic,

Smyth & Sakic Have Fun Together

from Pierre Lebrun of the CP via Yahoo,

“A dream come true - playing with a future Hall of Famer and also Andrew Brunette,” Smyth told The Canadian Press from Denver. “They threw us right together from the get-go.”

“I played with him a bit on Team Canada so I know him a little bit,” Sakic said Friday. “It’s going to be a lot of fun. Right off the bat they’re trying to set the lines and get that chemistry going to get off to a good start.”

more

Filed in: NHL Teams, Colorado Avalanche | KK Hockey | Permalink
 Tags: Joe+Sakic, Ryan+Smyth,

     

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