The Joe Sakic Rule

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Nov 29, 2008 8:44 AM MST in News Comment 11 comments

You can sense frustration growing with the Avalanche over Joe Sakic's back injury.

"We thought we were going to have him in there," Avs coach Tony Granato said. "To have him just a shift changes your whole dynamic of what you're going to do."

"He must be really frustrated," teammate Wojtek Wolski said. "We're definitely missing him very much right now.

"This is serious. A bad back can very often mean the end of a player’s career." - Adrian Dater.

And, perhaps most tellingly

"Sakic was unavailable for comment after the game Friday." - Aaron J Lopez.

You can tell, folks in and around the Avalanche are worried. Is this the beginning of the end? Sakic appears to be frustrated with his health, and when you're playing season to season and you are 39 years old, a certain "R" word starts popping into your head more and more.

At some point, I will be one of many writers to comment on Joe Sakic's retirement. I can't speak for everyone, but I know I will be teary-eyed when I do. Whenever that happens, I will be losing my favorite athlete of all time. I'm not one to get all ga-ga over celebrity, but Super Joe is one exception. I am quite sure that if I ever have the opportunity to meet him in person, I will be a completely dumbstruck. I doubt I'd be able to manage anything more than some sort of dopey, drooling grin.

But I won't be speculating on when that day will happen, or even when it should happen. This is the Joe Sakic Rule. Joe Sakic has earned the right to retire on his own terms. If he wants to step away tomorrow, he has my blessing. If he wants to play for 10 more years, I'll be happy to watch him contribute in whatever capacity he is able. Either way, I'm not going to be wondering "when"; as far as I'm concerned, his retirement isn't imminent until the day it happens. Until then, if he is a game time decision every single day for the rest of his career, so bet it. If he tries to play and can't go more than a shift, so bet it. You will not hear a peep of complaint out of me. He plays when he can, and doesn't when he can't, for as long as he wants, and that's that. That's the Joe Sakic rule. I'll let Wojtek Wolski explain why:

When he's in the lineup, we're a better team - anybody would be a better team.

This rule also applies to Peter Forsberg, but I draw the line at that. Everyone else is fair game.

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Comments

I couldn’t think of any player other than Joe and Peter who that rule applies to. Maybe Roy, but it’s still different with him. If he’s not as agile as he once was, you can’t have him playing 3rd line goaltender or summink.

26 Card Jet

by Tommelot on Nov 29, 2008 9:07 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

It’s funny that a guy as humble and professional as Joe Sakic would let pride keep him from taking a less strenuous position on the team than first line center. That Yzerman loser did that for the Wings near the end of his career and Detroit fans continue to kiss his ass to this day because of it.

Then again, does anyone really want to see an old and worn out Joe Sakic clinging to past success and delaying the inevitable like that?

If there wasn’t such an obvious leadership gap on the Avalanche right now, I’d be fine if Sakic retired tomorrow. But without a captain, this team is junk. I’d hate to see him leave with no worthy replacement waiting in the wings.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on Nov 29, 2008 9:27 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

The odd thing is, we THOUGHT we had plenty of worthy replacements! Smyth and Foote have both been captains, and we all expect SoS to take the C eventually, but there’s obviously zero leadership right now, so how can we expect that to change for the better when Joe finally retires?

by Rather Dashing on Nov 29, 2008 10:20 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

That’s the million dollar question.

Go Avs! Let's get some goals!

by Joe Dunman on Nov 29, 2008 10:37 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

does anyone really want to see an old and worn out Joe Sakic clinging to past success and delaying the inevitable like that?

Hell yeah. He is pretty much the sole reason why I turned to hockey and love the Avs. He and Peter Forsberg, let’s bring him back too. He could easily play 10 minutes before he’ll be placed on the IR list till the play-offs.

I’d be fine if Sakic retired tomorrow

Sacrilege! But for real, I think that Sakic is still a valuable player to any team at this point in time. The reason for his backproblems are most likely (lack of) training related and I know I called out the Avs training staff before, but if they can’t keep their players healthy, they’d better get sacked.

26 Card Jet

by Tommelot on Nov 29, 2008 10:51 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Joe-

Please read this.

"I can't hear Jeremy because I have my 2 Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears!" -Patrick Roy

by Derek B on Nov 30, 2008 10:10 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I know Forsberg has some crazy impact on the number of games the Avs have won with him in the line up. I wonder what the record of wins is when Sakic is in the line up. Even better, the record when they both play. I would look it up but I have no idea where to look for stats like that. I am pretty sure the stat is nothing short of amazing which is why the “Joe Sakic” rule (extended to Forsberg) is the most logical rule in hockey.

Red Wings Suck

by texacogirl on Nov 29, 2008 1:51 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

So far this year the Avs are 7-8 with Joe in the lineup, without 4-4.

Last year when he was in the lineup they were 26-17-2, without 18-14-6. A significantly higher winning percentage with him in the lineup obviously.

"I can't hear Jeremy because I have my 2 Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears!" -Patrick Roy

by Derek B on Nov 30, 2008 10:24 AM MST up reply actions 0 recs

This just sucks. I hope he doesn’t go down like this. Not saying Sakic is done, but it reminds me of Mike Bossy’s final season (also felled by a bad back), the first time I watched that sort of thing as a fan.

But I’m with you: Give Sakic the time to get it right and have a good second half or whatever he needs, but he’s earned the right to do it on his own terms.

Lighthouse Hockey: a New York Islanders blog with hip issues.

by Dominik on Nov 30, 2008 6:06 PM MST reply actions 0 recs