"He's our marquee player, our Michael Jordan."--former teammate Uwe Krupp.

Center Joe Sakic of the Colorado Avalanche is a quiet leader. Though he does not like to talk much, his play on the ice is hard to ignore. During the 1995-96 National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs, Sakic led his team to the Stanley Cup Championship as he earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. Sakic struggled to be noticed early in his career, but is now recognized as one of the shining stars of professional hockey.

Growing Up

Life Is Precious

Joseph Sakic was born July 7, 1969, in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, a suburb of Vancouver. He is the son of immigrants from what is now the country of Croatia. Sakic spoke only the Croatian language at home until he started school. "I think that's why I was so shy," he explained...