Thanks for the Memories, Joe: Hockey Loses a Giant

So this is how it feels to lose an old friend. When Joe Sakic announces his retirement from the NHL on Thursday, hockey will lose one of the best it ever had. Aside from one of the greatest wrist shots in league history, the game will say farewell to many things when Sakic hangs 'em up. Class. Integrity. Leadership. Dedication. Pride. Skill. These words don't even begin to describe the extraordinary package hockey fans were blessed enough to witness during Sakic's 20-year career. In fact, we may never see such a mixture of ability, class, and success again. That's just the kind of player and person Joe Sakic was. There wasn't a person in the game or in the stands who had anything but the utmost respect for him. He made fans and admirers everywhere he went—even Detroit. Sakic was the kind of player who attracted casual fans to the sport, and not always because of Colorado's success.  My stepmother, as you may imagine, has never been a hocke...