Joe Sakic

JOE SAKIC BEGAN PLAYING HOCKEY WHEN WAS JUST 6 YEARS OLD…
TODAY IN DENVER…34 YEARS LATER…HIS CAREER OFFICIALLY CAME TO AN END…
HOWEVER…THE DEBATE ON HIS GREATEST MOMENT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…
AS IN MOST THINGS…OPINION SEEMS TO BE BASED ON POINT OF VIEW…
FOR EXAMPLE:
IF YOU ARE A DENVER SPORTS FAN…IT WAS 1996 WHEN HE LIFTED THE STANLEY CUP FOR THE FIRST TIME…
IT WAS THAT CITY’S FIRST MAJOR LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP…
IF YOU HAPPEN TO LIVE IN BOSTON…IT WAS 2001…WHEN SAKIC HANDED THE CUP TO RAY BOURQUE…
BUT IF YOU ARE CANADAIN!!!
ITS FEBRUARY 24TH 2002…THE GOLD MEDAL GAME AGAINST THE U.S….
SAKIC SCORED 2 GOALS…AS CANADA BEAT THE AMERICANS 5-2…
THE VICTORY CAME 50 YEARS TO THE DAY…FROM OUR LAST OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL IN MEN’S HOCKEY…
SAKIC’S SECOND GOAL…SEALED IT…
THE IMAGES OF BOTH THE PLAYERS CELEBRATING ON THE ICE…
AND WAYNE GRETZKY AND CELEBRATING IN THE STANDS…WILL LIVE FOREVER IN THE HEARTS OF CANADIAN HOCKEY FANS…
SAKIC WAS NAMED THE TOURNAMENTS MVP…
AL MACINNIS DESCRIBED THE PRESSURE OF THAT GAME AS A…”PIANO ON THEIR BACK”…
BUT IN JUST ONE AFTERNOON…ALL THE QUESTIONS AND DOUBT ABOUT OUR GAME…WERE WASHED AWAY…
THE PAIN OF LOSING 5-2 TO SWEDEN…WAS SUDDENLY GONE!!!
IT HAD BEEN REPLACED BY “PURE JOY”…AND THE “LUCKY LOONIE” BURIED IN THE ICE…
GRETZKY EXPLAINED IT THIS WAY…
“THIS MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO OUR COUNTRY…IT’S WHY WE “HAD” TO WIN THIS TOURNAMENT”…
NEARLY 10 MILLION PEOPLE WATCHED FROM COAST TO COAST…
IT IS STILL THE HIGHEST RATED SHOW IN THE HISTORY OF CANADIAN TELEVISION…
WHEN ASKED TO COMPARE A STANLEY CUP WITH A GOLD MEDAL…
SAKIC WOULD ONLY SAY…”THEY ARE SEPARATE THINGS”…
WHICH MEANS…
THIS DEBATE OVER HIS GREATEST MOMENT…MAY NEVER BE TRULY ANSWERED…