Joe Sakic represents CHL in Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2012
Bill Hay, Chairman and CEO of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Jim Gregory and Pat Quinn, Co-Chairmen of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee, announced Tuesday that Pavel Bure, Adam Oates, Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Player Category. The vote took place today at the annual meeting of the Selection Committee in Toronto.
“The Hockey Hall of Fame is proud to welcome these four hockey legends as Honoured Members,” said Jim Gregory. “Their contributions to the game of hockey are well documented and their election to the Hockey Hall of Fame is richly deserved.”
Joe Sakic grew up in Burnaby, British Columbia, before starring with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League for two seasons. Sakic recorded 133 points in 72 games to claim WHL Eastern Conference Rookie of the Year honours in 1987, before scoring 78 goals and 82 assists for 160 points in 64 games to win both the WHL and CHL Player of the Year Awards.
Drafted 15th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1987 Entry Draft, Sakic moved with the team to Colorado and went on to play his entire 20-year career with the same organization. Sakic captained the team for 17 seasons, second longest in NHL history and won Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001. An NHL First Team All-Star on three occasions, Sakic also played for Canada at three Olympic Games, winning gold and being named MVP in 2002.
“As a kid I always dreamed about making the NHL, but never really thought at all about the Hockey Hall of Fame,” said Sakic. “I was fortunate to play 20 seasons, which gave me the opportunity to build on my list of accomplishments. Having great teammates and coaches was a key component of this.”
Through a 20-season career in the National Hockey League, Joe Sakic is unique as one of the few players to have won the Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, gold in the World Cup of Hockey, gold at the World Championships and gold at the World Junior Championships. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP with the Avalanche in 1996 and was awarded the Hart Trophy, Lester B Pearson Award, and Lady Byng Trophy as part of his second Stanley-Cup winning season with the Avalanche in 2001.
At the time of his retirement, Sakic was eighth on the NHL’s all-time point leaders, 14th in goals and 11th in all-time assists. Prior to the 2009-10 season opener, the Colorado Avalanche retired Sakic’s number 19. Through his extraordinary career, he was voted onto 13 NHL All-Star Games, and was MVP in the 2004 game.
The 2012 Induction Celebration will be held on Monday, November 12th at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
Written with files from www.hhof.com