Joe Sakic showed leadership qualities and earned the respect of his teammates right from the beginning of his NHL career. He was named a co-captain for the 1990-91 Quebec Nordiques season, where he served as captain for all home games in just his third season. Two years later, Sakic was officially named captain heading into the 1992-93 season. As a result, he made his first career playoff appearance while leading the Nordiques to their franchise record in wins at the time. Sakic held the title of captain for 16 seasons through the franchise’s relocation to Colorado until the rest of his career and led the Avalanche to two Stanley Cup championships in 1996 and 2001. He has continued to show his leadership skills after his career, as he received the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award for overseeing the Avalanche win the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals, which resulted in a promotion to president of hockey operations for the franchise.

This image is autographed by Joe Sakic with a silver paint pen. Sakic’s signature was witnessed by an Upper Deck representative as part of UDA’s 5-step authentication process.