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Hockeytown0001

The Battle of 19 : Stevie vs Sakic and others

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Yzerman and Sakic are both classy longtime leaders of their respective teams and genuinely good guys. No one can dispute that.

However, comparing their careers - Stevie's entire career and Joe's up to this season - the nod has to go to Stevie, simply based on numbers, which are facts. I know that's not entirely fair because Joe is still playing, but it's what we've got. Stevie also gets the intangibles, since he played more than half his career on a questionable knee (especially the last few seasons) and with that neck injury as well. Steve also has three Stanley Cups, versus Joe's 2.

Steve also had six consecutive seasons in which he broke 100 points; in five of those seasons he broke 50 goals, and in two of those, he broke 60 goals. While Joe also broke 100 points six times, the seasons are scattered throughout his career and he only broke 50 goals twice. And then there is that some people refer to Stevie as the greatest player to ever play in the NHL who was not named Gretzky or Lemieux.

Also, you have to look at the respect Stevie has throughout hockey. I'm not saying Joe isn't respected, because he certainly is, but when Team Canada went to the Turin Olympics in 2006 without Stevie, no one who could have - namely Joe and Joe Thornton - wore #19 out of respect for Stevie and Wayne Gretzky said the number is basically retired. Would they have done the same thing for Joe? I'm not so sure.

It's a tough comparison, but IMO Stevie comes out on top, but Joe is right there as a close second.

Just my $0.02

Edited by Yzermania19

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Yzerman and Sakic are both classy longtime leaders of their respective teams and genuinely good guys. No one can dispute that.

However, comparing their careers - Stevie's entire career and Joe's up to this season - the nod has to go to Stevie, simply based on numbers, which are facts. I know that's not entirely fair because Joe is still playing, but it's what we've got. Stevie also gets the intangibles, since he played more than half his career on a questionable knee (especially the last few seasons) and with that neck injury as well. Steve also has three Stanley Cups, versus Joe's 2.

Steve also had six consecutive seasons in which he broke 100 points; in five of those seasons he broke 50 goals, and in two of those, he broke 60 goals. While Joe also broke 100 points six times, the seasons are scattered throughout his career and he only broke 50 goals twice. And then there is that some people refer to Stevie as the greatest player to ever play in the NHL who was not named Gretzky or Lemieux.

Also, you have to look at the respect Stevie has throughout hockey. I'm not saying Joe isn't respected, because he certainly is, but when Team Canada went to the Turin Olympics in 2006 without Stevie, no one who could have - namely Joe and Joe Thornton - wore #19 out of respect for Stevie and Wayne Gretzky said the number is basically retired. Would they have done the same thing for Joe? I'm not so sure.

It's a tough comparison, but IMO Stevie comes out on top, but Joe is right there as a close second.

Just my $0.02

:clap:

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Guest RedWingsFever

IMO there really is no "battle." Stevie crushes the competition here. He is, and always will be, the most superior number 19 ever.

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IMO there really is no "battle." Stevie crushes the competition here. He is, and always will be, the most superior number 19 ever.

Yzerman is better than Sakic, and I don't even have to argue it b/c that view would be so unanimous throughout hockey, that it's not worth legitimizing the argument.

However, Sakic is a great player, and it's possible that he is as important to Denver fans as Yzerman was to Detroiters. That's where some of the "confusion" might come in. I never considered Sakic part of the whole Blood Bath/Rivalry in the late 90's, any more than an Avs fan would have any reason to hate Stevie Y, other than out of blind homerism. Both were great players, and carried themselves with class. Yzerman played at an elite level for a long time, but even his numbers don't tell the whole story, because IMO, he became a winner when his teams became better and he evolved into the great two-way player and Selke finalist that Sakic has never been.

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Joking aside, why do you make such generalizations about hockey knowledge for Colorado fans when you're dealing with fans that are aged 15-21 on these forums. Professional Hockey has been in Colorado since 1950. So many fans that are now Colorado fans were likely fans of other NHL teams(I for one followed the North Stars). So just because we didn't have the NHL for very long doesn't mean the majority of Avs fans know nothing about hockey. Hockey is Hockey no matter what level you are watching. Talent levels are the only difference (and rink size if you're in Europe). So the fans that think Joe is better than Steve probably weren't alive yet when Stevie broke into the league. They've grown up watching Joe so what do you expect them to say. So forgive some of these young ones that have better things to do than open a book on the history of NHL hockey.

Sure. What could be more intelligent than a bunch of retards shouting "Red Wings suck" at every game? I've never heard a divealanche fan say anything else besides that. Well that, and the fact that Sakic is the best captain ever, and Scott Parker is an unbeatable force.

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What's the genealogy of the number? Can anyone map it out?

Who started wearing what number, eventually influencing Stevie and Sakic to wear it? Who was it passed down to?

I know a ton of people wear 19 or 9 now because of Yzerman's influence. I'm pretty sure Mike Modano is one of them.

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What's the genealogy of the number? Can anyone map it out?

Who started wearing what number, eventually influencing Stevie and Sakic to wear it? Who was it passed down to?

I know a ton of people wear 19 or 9 now because of Yzerman's influence. I'm pretty sure Mike Modano is one of them.

Yzerman wears it because Trottier was his favourite player. Thornton wears it because of Yzerman, but not because Yzerman was his favourite player, his favourite player was Gretzky......his brother liked Yzerman and suggested the number.

You would have to go case by case.......

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I vote for Stevie, and although I'm not really objective, I think I have valid reasons for going that route--stats (especially in his prime), Cups, significance to the franchise, probably better defensively, etc.

No way I can dump on Sakic though. Fantastic player, pure class, the one guy really worth liking on those 1996-2002 Avs teams. I've been a fan of his going back to Quebec, and you definitely can't go wrong with either guy.

Anyway, the real question is where's that idiot Blackhawks fan always around here to tell us that Jonathan Toews is already better than Yzerman and Sakic put together?

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Anyway, the real question is where's that idiot Blackhawks fan always around here to tell us that Jonathan Toews is already better than Yzerman and Sakic put together?

:lol::lol: good one

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Sure. What could be more intelligent than a bunch of retards shouting "Red Wings suck" at every game? I've never heard a divealanche fan say anything else besides that. Well that, and the fact that Sakic is the best captain ever, and Scott Parker is an unbeatable force.

Oh so you've sat next to everyone in that arena? I for one don't say it. How can you equate intelligence with hatred for a rival. They say it to show they don't like the Wings not that they really think they suck. And how are you as a Red Wing fan any better than those who chant "Red Wings Suck" when you and others refer to them as divealanche, avsmonkeys, etc. If indeed you equate intelligence with not saying stupid things about other teams then you my friend lack hockey knowledge too. Before I get blasted from a bunch of you, please realize I'm just trying to make a point with GMRwings, I respect the majority of the Wing fans on this forum especially the ones that respect me.

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