The Colorado Avalanche announced on Friday that former team captain Joe Sakic has joined the club's front office. He will be an executive adviser and an alternate governor for the Avalanche at the conclusion of the regular season. The former role will have him involved in "all aspects" of hockey operations as well as having some role in business operations. As an alternate governor for the team, he will attend the NHL's Board of Governors meetings, where team owner Josh Kroenke participates as the governor.
This moved was hinted at over the last several months, but Sakic was waiting for the right time. Apparently that time was at the end of what has turned into a horrible season for the Avalanche. Sakic retired at the end of the 2008-09 season after 20 years all with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche. He played 1,378 games, scored 625 goals, had 1,641 career points and won two Stanley Cup championships with the team in 1996 and 2001.
While this move is not quite on the same level that John Elway made when he became the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos, having franchise hero Joe Sakic return to the front office is definitely a step in the right direction.