My NHL idol: Blackhawks' Desjardins on Joe Sakic

Posted April 13, 2016 1:00 am

John Dietz

During the Blackhawks' 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs run, the Daily Herald asked players to recall their favorite moment on the ice - something that stood out from a personal standpoint whether it was a big goal or big assist.

This year, we're asking them to tell us which player they grew up idolizing. We'll share their story on each game day throughout the playoffs.

Andrew Desjardins, the Hawks' gritty, fourth-line winger, chose Joe Sakic, who scored 625 goals from 1988-2009 with Quebec and Colorado. Desjardins said he loved watching the Avs teams of the 1990s with Sakic, Ray Bourque, Patrick Roy and Peter Forsberg.

But Sakic was Desjardins' guy.

"Everybody always talked about his leadership, how hard he worked, he had a great shot," Desjardins said. "Just an all-around player. One of those Stevie (Yzerman) kind of guys …

"I always wanted to be that kind of player. I loved scoring goals, but I was one of those guys that wanted to be well-rounded."

Colorado Avalanche center Joe Sakic played from 1988-2009 with Quebec and Colorado. Associated Press/2008 file

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