NHL: The best captain in each team’s history (Updated 2023)

Best NHL captain from each franchise: Colorado Avalanche – Joe Sakic

Whenever you think of terms like “Mr. Wrist Shot” or “Mr. Positivity” many will remember the impact center Joe Sakic had on the Colorado Avalanche. Goaltenders would often complain that even with the latest protective gear, you would still feel Sakic’s shots because he put so much velocity behind them.

Sakic will go down in NHL history as not only one of the best captains to ever do it but was a household name on the Quebec Nordiques and then again when they relocated to Denver and became the Avalanche for over a decade. Not only did he help win two Stanley Cup championships with the Avalanche but he was a class act when it mattered most in his career.

Always putting the team first before his accomplishments, Sakic created an incredible culture in the locker room that had players that actually wanted to be there and put it all on the ice for each other. He was critical of maintaining this every season to ensure that the Avalanche were always competitive either on the road or in front of their passionate fans.

Sakic’s leadership and keeping his teammates focused on synergized execution translated well on the ice. To this day, almost every major franchise record for scoring, goals, and assists belongs to Sakic. He’s also considered to be an iron man by his peers as he also still holds the franchise record for most games played at 1,363.