In today’s sporting world, rarely do we see loyalty between a franchise and a player as both parties have become more selfish with each passing year.
However, back in the days, teams would look out for their players and vice versa, no matter the circumstances. And one player that symbolizes loyalty more than anyone else in Joe Sakic.
To illustrate, Joe spent his illustrious 21-year long career in the NHL with the same team that drafted him.
Furthermore, not only did he stay with the franchise, but he also led them to two Stanley Cup wins along with countless individual awards.
Therefore, in honor of the NHL legend, we have written this article where you will find details on his early life, career, net worth, family, age, and social media.
So without further ado, let’s get started.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Joseph Steven Sakic |
| Birth Date | July 7, 1969 |
| Birth Place | Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada |
| Nick Name | Not available |
| Religion | Not available |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Not available |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Father’s Name | Marijan Sakic |
| Mother’s Name | Slavica Sakic |
| Siblings | Not available |
| Age | 54 years old |
| Height | 5’11″ (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 195 lbs (88 kg) |
| Shoe Size | Not available |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Body Measurement | Not available |
| Build | Athletic |
| Married | Yes |
| Fiancee | No |
| Spouse | Debbie Sakic |
| Position | Center |
| Profession | Ice Hockey Player |
| Net Worth | $70 million |
| Clubs | Colorado Avalanches, Quebec Nordiques |
| Jersey Number | 19 (Colorado Avalanches) |
| Social Media | |
| Merch | Autographed Card, Upper Deck Ice Hockey Trading Card |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Joe Sakic | Early Life & Career
Joseph Steven Sakic was born to his parents, Marijan Sakic and Slavica Sakic. Likewise, his parents were originally from Yugoslavia (now Croatia) and later on immigrated to Canada.
Furthermore, young Sakic got his first opportunity to watch an NFL game live when he was just four years old.
After that day, all Joe ever wanted to become was an NHL player. However, the British Columbia native was a bit short than his peers.
Therefore, in order to compensate for his flaw, young Joe began to model his game after his idol, Wayne Gretzky. Subsequently, the 5 feet 11 centers joined Burnaby North Secondary School, where he scored 83 goals and 156 points in just 80 games.
Soon after, Joe got the opportunity to play in the Western Hockey League (WHL) during the final few games of the 1985-86 season for the Lethbridge Broncos.
However, the Broncos moved to Swift Current in Saskatchewan, consequently becoming the Swift Current Broncos.
During his time with the Broncos, Sakic was one of the best performers in the league. For example, the British Columbia native won the Rookie of the Year in his first full season with the Broncos.
Also, Joe won the WHL Most Valuable Player of the Year award in his final season with the franchise.
Joe Sakic | Career & Stanley Cup Wins
Joe was the reining WHL MVP when he made himself eligible for the NHL Draft. Hence, no one was surprised when the British Columbia native was selected as the 15th overall pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques.
However, Sakic decided to spend another year in the WHL before making the big leap in the NHL. As a consequence, the 5 feet 11 center player played for the Broncos during the 1987-88 season.
After that, returning from an impressive season in the WHL, Joe was lighting up the NHL during the early parts of his rookie season.
However, an ankle injury derailed his campaign towards the end as he missed out on the Rookie of the Year trophy.
Nonetheless, the British Columbia native finished with a tally of 23 goals, 62 points, and 39 assists in 70 games for the Nordiques.
Thereafter, Joe spent his next few years performing exceedingly well for the organization. However, the quality that impressed the management of Nordiques most was his leadership.
Thus, starting from the 1992-93 season, Sakic became the captain of the Quebec Nordiques.
Amazingly, in his first season as the captain, the franchise reached its first playoffs in six years. Added to that, they also set the record for the wins and points scored.
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After that, Joe helped his side win the division title in the 1994-95 season. In doing so, Nordiques ended their near-decade-long wait for the championship.
But, in a turn of events, Quebec Nordiques got sold in 1995 and subsequently relocated to Colorado.
Soo after, the franchise changed their name to Colorado Avalanche and continue to play in Colorado to this day.
Returning to the subject, in a script that any Hollywood scriptwriter would be proud of, Sakic led his newly relocated franchise all the way to the Stanley Cup win in their first season in Colorado.
Additionally, the British Columbia native also earned the Most Valuable Player of the 1996 NHL Playoffs due to his heroic cup-winning performances.
Furthermore, Joe finished the historic season with some of the best stats of his career. To explain, Sakic scored 69 goals, 154 points, and assisted 85 times.
Following his impressive campaign, everyone expected the 5 feet 11 center player to lead his team to another Stanley Cup.
And, even though, Sakic was hurt in the earlier parts of the 1996-97 season, he came back and helped his side reach the conference finals.
But, unfortunately, Colorado Avalanche lost to the Detroit Red Wings in a closely fought six-game thriller.
Thereafter, Sakic spent three relatively injury-laden seasons before winning the prestigious Stanley Cup in the 2000-2001 season for the second and last time in his illustrious career.
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Consequently, for his outstanding contributions, Joe received the Hart Memorial Trophy, Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, and the Lester B.Pearson Award.
In addition, the 5 feet 11 center player also made his first NHL All-Star First Team appearance. All in all, 2001 was the best year of Sakic’s career.
After that, Joe played for another seven years in the league, reaching the playoffs five times. However, the Avalanche, along with Sakic, could never win another Stanley Cup until his retirement in 2009.
Nevertheless, the British Columbia native established himself as one of the best and most famous players of his generation.
It is further highlighted by his 13 appearances in the NHL All-Star games. Added to that, Sakic ended his 21-year long career with a total of 1550 appearances in which he scored 709 goals, 1829 points, and provided 1120 assists.
However, NHL fans love him not because of his awards and achievements but because he played his whole 21-year long career for the same franchise that drafted him. Thus, proving that loyalty will always serve you well.
At the time of writing, Joe is writing a new history for the Colorado Avalanches as their General Manager. Therefore, we here at Playersbio wish nothing but the best for the 51-year-old.
Joe Sakic | Age, Height & Body Measurements
Joe was born in the year 1969, which makes him 51 years old currently. Likewise, having been born in the month of July makes the 51-year old’s horoscope, Cancer.
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Furthermore, Sakic stands at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 meters) and weighs 195 lb (88 kg). During his time in NHL, the British Columbia native played as a center, which requires a lot of stamina because it is the position that has to cover the most ice.
Joe Sakic’s Jersey Number
During his first season in the NHL, Sakic wore the number 88 jersey as his teammate Alain Cote was sporting his favorite no.19 at the time. However, Joe got to wear no.19 the very next season after Cote retired.
After that, Sakic wore the iconic no.19 on his back for the rest of his playing career.
Joe Sakic | Stats
| Year | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| Career | 1378 | 625 | 1016 | 1641 | 614 |
Joe Sakic | Accident, Injury, and Bus Crash
As a high school athlete, Sakic met with great tragedy when his school bus was involved in an accident. On the night of December 30, 1986, the Swift Broncos were traveling to Regina to play against the Regina Pats.
However, the bus never made it to its destination. The bus was traveling at 53 kmph when it hit a black ice that caused it to slid off and eventually flip on its side.
After that, it slid for 100 meters before coming to its rest on a ditch. Although Joe wasn’t injured, he saw four of his teammates die in that bus crash.
The four of his teammates were Trent Kresse, Scott Kruger, Chris Mantyka, and Brent Ruff who were crushed and catapulted by the rear of the bus. Throughout his career, the NHL player never talked about the incident as it had a great impact on his life.
To this day, the hockey player remembers the temperature of that night, the weather conditions, and the radio talking like it was yesterday. Sakic said in an interview, “You never do forget. They say time heals, and it does, but you remember everything. You never forget.”
The Canadian athlete had to relive the accident in 2018 when a bus carrying Humboldt Broncos team crashed resutling in the death of 16 players. Joe commented on the bus crash saying, “It hit home, that’s for sure.”
Joe Sakic | Net Worth & Salary
As of 2021, Sakic has an eye-watering net worth of $70 million accrued mainly through his career in the NHL both as a player and as backroom staff.
Moreover, the 51-year-old is the current General Manager of the Colorado Avalanche.
Furthermore, Joe earned an astonishing $93 million on salaries throughout his 21 year-long NHL playing career.
The reason being, Sakic was one of the best players of his generation, as suggested by his 13 appearances in the All-Star games.
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Unfortunately, we could not find Joe’s current salary as the General Manager of the Avalanche. Nevertheless, our team is currently working to find out the details regarding the Canadian international’s contract.
Joe Sakic | Wife & Kids
Talking about his personal life, Joe is happily married to his wife, Debbie Sakic.
Likewise, the couple met when Joe was playing in Swift Current at a local high school. But, unfortunately, we could not find the exact date of the two lover’s marriage.
Nonetheless, what we did find is that the couple has been blessed with three beautiful children Mitchell Sakic, Chase Sakic, and Kamryn Sakic.
Furthermore, Mitchell, who is also the eldest and was born in 1996, while fraternal twins, Chase Sakic and Kamryn Sakic, were born in 2000.
At the moment, the couple is in an extremely loving relationship, as suggested by their various pictures on the internet. Furthermore, their eldest son has already graduated from college while the twins are in their junior years.
Thus, everything looks rosy for the Sakic family, and we hope that they continue to share their strong bond.
Joe Sakic | Social Media Presence
Instagram : 3.6 thousand followers
Colorado Avalanche Instagram: 446k followers
Joe Sakic | FAQs
When was Joe Sakic inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame?
Sakic was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 12, 2012.
Has Joe Sakic played in the Olympics?
Yes, Sakic has played in the Olypics where he represented his country Canada. Moreover, the hockey player has won gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City.
Furthermore, he was also the captain of Team Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics held in Italy. Besides that, in his first Olympic appearance he sustained injuries to his knee that caused him to miss 18 games in the NHL.
How much is Joe Sakic rookie card’s value?
Joe Sakic’s 1989 O-Pee-Chee Hockey rookie card is $152.50 on Ebay. It is reportedly the most expensive Joe Sakic rookie card.
I was Joe’s Kindergarten teacher in Burnaby! There was an indoor rink across the street from our school and also across the street from Joe’s house. He was a wonderful well-behaved student and when our class took 8 skating lessons in the Spring, Joe was just a marvel on the ice at five years old! He was the only student who did not need any lessons!! I have followed his phenomenal career and so happy him.