Joe Sakic, a name synonymous with hockey greatness, spent his entire 21-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise, which lasted from 1988 to 2009. Sakic is regarded as one of the greatest team leaders in league history and was able to consistently motivate his team to play at a winning level.
Over the course of his illustrious career, Sakic remained loyal to the franchise, spending the first eight seasons in Quebec before the team’s relocation to Colorado, where he continued to shine for another 12 years. His remarkable career statistics include 625 goals, 1,016 assists, and a total of 1,641 points, securing his place as one of the greatest players in the franchise’s history. In 2012, Sakic was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
This article explores the history of Joe Sakic's hockey jerseys, from his early days with the Quebec Nordiques to his Stanley Cup victories with the Colorado Avalanche.
The NHL Forward Who NEVER Made Mistakes
Early Career with the Quebec Nordiques
Joe Sakic was selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the first round of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. Sakic made his professional debut on October 6, 1988, against the Hartford Whalers and registered an assist. His first NHL goal came two days later against goaltender Sean Burke of the New Jersey Devils. During the season, Sakic wore number 88, because his preferred number 19 was already taken by a teammate, Alain Côté.
In 1989-90, his second NHL season, Sakic was able to switch back to his familiar number 19 and scored 102 points, which was ninth overall in the league, becoming the first player in NHL history to score 100 points on a last place team. At the start of the next season, 1990-91, Sakic was named co-captain of the Nordiques along with Steven Finn (Sakic was captain for home games, Finn for away games).
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This exceptional jersey, worn by Sakic during his time with the Quebec Nordiques, is a piece of hockey memorabilia that captures the essence of his career. The jersey features the Maska manufacturer’s tag and a flag tag indicating the size “54” inside the collar.
Bonus jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1989-90 Quebec Nordiques Joe Sakic jersey. This jersey was worn on the road when Sakic was still an assistant captain of the club, as he would not become a co-captain until the following season, and then only for home games, raising questions about just when and why Sakic was wearing the "C" on the road in 1989-90, perhaps due to an injury to their then Captain Peter Stastny.
Here's a look at Sakic's stats during his time with the Quebec Nordiques:
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988-89 | Quebec Nordiques | 70 | 23 | 39 | 62 |
| 1989-90 | Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 39 | 63 | 102 |
| 1990-91 | Quebec Nordiques | 80 | 48 | 61 | 109 |
| 1991-92 | Quebec Nordiques | 69 | 29 | 65 | 94 |
| 1992-93 | Quebec Nordiques | 78 | 48 | 57 | 105 |
| 1993-94 | Quebec Nordiques | 47 | 28 | 44 | 72 |
| 1994-95 | Quebec Nordiques | 47 | 19 | 33 | 52 |
Relocation to Colorado and Stanley Cup Success
In May 1995, the Nordiques announced that the team had been sold and were relocating from Quebec. The franchise then moved to Denver, Colorado, and were renamed the Colorado Avalanche. Sakic led the team to a Stanley Cup championship in its first year, scoring 120 points in 82 regular season games and 34 points in 22 playoff games.
Sakic was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 1996 NHL playoffs. During the run for the Cup, Sakic again proved himself to be an effective team leader. Although his Nordiques had missed the playoffs in five of his first seven years in the NHL, he scored 18 goals, including six game-winners, and 34 points.
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Sakic led the Avalanche to their second Stanley Cup championship, defeating the defending title holding New Jersey Devils in seven games. Memorably, after receiving the Stanley Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Sakic broke with tradition.
Today's featured jersey is a 1995-96 Colorado Avalanche Joe Sakic jersey and features the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals patch. This jersey stands apart with it's "mountain range" striping on the waist and arms, unlike any other jersey of it's day. The white names and numbers on this jersey have a textured herringbone pattern pattern to them, which is called "Glacier Twill". In addition to that detail, the silver outline around all the numbers is a metallic silver material, which is often done as a flat grey material on Avalanche jerseys.
Here's a look at Sakic's stats during his time with the Colorado Avalanche:
| Season | Team | GP | G | A | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 51 | 69 | 120 |
| 1996-97 | Colorado Avalanche | 65 | 22 | 52 | 74 |
| 1997-98 | Colorado Avalanche | 64 | 27 | 36 | 63 |
| 1998-99 | Colorado Avalanche | 73 | 41 | 55 | 96 |
| 1999-00 | Colorado Avalanche | 60 | 24 | 57 | 81 |
| 2000-01 | Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 54 | 64 | 118 |
| 2001-02 | Colorado Avalanche | 80 | 26 | 53 | 79 |
| 2002-03 | Colorado Avalanche | 58 | 21 | 37 | 58 |
| 2003-04 | Colorado Avalanche | 81 | 33 | 54 | 87 |
| 2005-06 | Colorado Avalanche | 67 | 32 | 43 | 75 |
| 2006-07 | Colorado Avalanche | 82 | 36 | 64 | 100 |
| 2007-08 | Colorado Avalanche | 44 | 13 | 29 | 42 |
| 2008-09 | Colorado Avalanche | 15 | 2 | 10 | 12 |
All-Star Game Jersey
Avalanche captain Joe Sakic was an obvious choice on the North American roster for the 50th NHL All Star game held in Toronto. This royal blue uniform was worn in the game and signed on the back numbers in black.
Commemorative additions include the 2000 NHL All Star game patch above the NHL 2000 patch and a Canadian flag sewn onto the sleeve. Embroidered onto the tail are the logos of the NHL, NHLPA and CCM. Stitched NHL inventory tag affixed to the fight strap. Very light use, as is to be expected.
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Size 56.
