"The news that Avalanche fans had hoped never to hear is nevertheless official: Joe Sakic has decided to retire from the Avalanche.

The Denver Post has confirmed that the Avalanche captain will retire Thursday at a 1 p.m. news conference at the Inverness Hotel.

After a 20-season career that is sure to land him in the Hockey Hall of Fame, Sakic had mulled a 21st. Instead, he'll walk away as the Avalanche's all-time leading scorer with 625 goals and 1,641 points in 1,378 games — all with the same franchise.

Injuries started to catch up with Sakic last season, limiting him to only 15 games. He had surgery for a herniated disc and wasn't able to make it back for the final weekend of games last season, something he wanted to do.

He began his NHL journey in 1988, and has had a career that spanned five U.S. presidents. Wearing No. 88 his first season (1988-89) with Quebec, Sakic then adopted the No. 19 that became synonymous with him.

Sakic has won two Stanley Cups with Colorado in 1996 and 2001. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in '96, with six playoff game-winning goals, then an NHL record. He also captained a Canadian Olympic team that won a gold medal in 2002, taking tournament most valuable player honors. "