Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2012

Burnaby Joe -- so nicknamed after his hometown in British Columbia -- was the 15th overall pick, by the Quebec Nordiques, in the 1989 NHL Draft. The smart, playmaking center with the lethal wrist shot spent his entire 20-year career with the franchise -- serving 16 years as captain, the second longest such tenure in league history -- while twice scoring 50 goals in a season and producing six 100-point campaigns. He was so valued that the Avalanche countered a $21 million offer sheet from the New York Rangers in 1997 in order to keep him. On the international stage, Sakic won gold medals with Team Canada at the 1994 World Championships and 2002 Winter Olympics.