Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012, Joe Sakic is one of the best players of all time. He’s received almost every award in the NHL and has 1,641 total points. Here we’ll take a look at five of the most interesting facts about him and show you why he is one of the best players that anyone has seen in the NHL.
1. He Won the Stanley Cup
During the 1995-1996 season, Sakic helped the Colorado Avalanche win its first championship in history. He scored 18 goals, six game-winners, and 34 points. As a result of this, he earned the Conn Smythe trophy and became a lifetime hero. Before this season, he was the captain of the Quebec Nordiques, where he absolutely dominated the ice. He did so well during this season that he won the Stanley Cup, which is one of the highest trophies a hockey player can get.
2. He Did Well Under Pressure
Hockey games are all about being under pressure and Sakic did well in these situations. Not only has he been in the most playoff games in history, but he also has eight goals that were gotten in overtime. During playoff games, he had 19 game-winning goals, which placed him in third place on the all-time list. If you watch any of his past games, you’ll see that the pressure just makes him stronger and he really enjoys making goals as he stares down the clock.
3. He Was a Great Person
Not only was he a fantastic player, but he was an awesome person in general. During game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup final, he scored his 13th goal and 26th point midway through the second period. After being handed the Stanley Cup, he handed it to Ray Bourque, who had been waiting to win for 22 years. The final goal was a laser wrister right over the glove of goalie Martin Brodeur.
4. He Was an MVP
Not too long after getting his second Stanley Cup, he beat Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr to receive the Hart Trophy. At the end of the season, he had 54 goals, 12 goals that won the game, a plus-45 rating, and 118 points. In addition, this was also the season when he brought home the Lady Byng Award and the Lester B. Pearson award.
5. He Had a Monster Wrist Shot
His monster wrist shot was worth $1 million dollars and was one of the reasons why he got as many awards as he did. Not only was he quick on the draw, but he had perfect precision that made it hard for goalies to stop the puck. Some goalies have even talked about how hard it was to track where the puck was going and how hard it was to stop it.