Joe Sakic country for sport Canada
International play
Sakic had an extensive international hockey career, representing Canada at seven international competitions. After being drafted by the Nordiques in 1987, he went on and helped Canada win the 1988 World Junior Championship. His next tournament was the 1991 World Championships, where Canada won the silver medal and Sakic contributed eleven points in ten games. He tried out for the 1991 Canada Cup Canadian team, but was the first player to be cut, being cited for his weak leg strength. Sakic was bitter about the experience, feeling he was not given a good enough chance to prove himself, and called the whole experience "a complete waste of time."Sakic's first successful professional tournament was the 1994 World Championships, where Canada won its first gold medal in the tournament since 1961. Sakic's seven points in eight games were a crucial part of the team's success. During the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, he played only a minor role in Canada's second-place finish as he scored one goal and two assists in six games. However, the tournament allowed him to showcase that he was indeed a dominant player who had simply been overlooked.Sakic's first Olympic appearance came in 1998 at Nagano, Japan, the first tournament in which NHL players participated. Bothered by a knee injury, he only scored three points in four games, as the Canadian squad failed to meet expectations and finished in fourth. His second Olympic appearance came in 2002 in Salt Lake City; led by his strong play, the Canadian team reached the gold medal match against Team USA, in which Sakic scored four points and helped Canada win its first gold medal in 50 years. He was later named MVP of the tournament with a cumulative tally of four goals and six assists and became one of the first Canadian members of the Triple Gold Club. Sakic also played a part in Canada's triumph in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where he scored six points in six games.On December 21, 2005, Sakic was named captain of Team Canada for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Once again, Team Canada was heavily favoured and given high expectations, but they failed to medal, finishing seventh overall. Sakic finished the tournament with three points.
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