Though I am not specifically a Colorado Avalanche fan there is no player in the NHL that I admire and respect more than Joe Sakic. The guy is class personified, and for the better part of the past two decades he has been coming through in the clutch for the Nordiques/Avalanche. Not only does he carry himself with class on and off the ice, but he has consistently been one of the league’s most dynamic, exciting players. As such a big fan of Sakic it is hard to watch him struggle through injuries in the twilight of his career, and his plight is similar to another classy #19 – Steve Yzerman.
Hopefully, for Sakic’s sake and the sake of NHL hockey fans everywhere, Sakic’s amazing career doesn’t end with a series of debilitating injuries, and he gets the chance to go out with the honor and dignity that he deserves.
The news broke out of Colorado that Sakic will miss the next 6 weeks or so with a herniated disc in his back. Sakic originally sustained the injury lifting weights, and had already missed some time, but aggravated the injury against the Phoenix Coyotes on Nov 28. Hopefully the time off will allow him to heal fully and he can get back to the form we’ve all come to count on from Burnaby Joe, and can help the Avs make a late season playoff push.