"A sea of proud and teary-eyed Joe Sakic fans stood, clapped and cried Thursday night during the longtime Avalanche captain's on-ice farewell.

Among the many patrons wearing a Sakic sweater was Philip Hill, who traveled from Bloomington, Ind., for the celebration of Denver's greatest hockey star.

"I've enjoyed Mr. Sakic in all his years. He's a great guy, great for the community and a great player," said Hill, 58, donning Sakic's Quebec Nordiques jersey. "He's not a typical pro athlete with a big head and all the things you don't like about pro athletes now. He's none of those. He's great."

The retiring of No. 19's sweater doesn't mean you won't continue to see No. 19 sweaters in the stands during Avs games. In fact, No. 19 might be more popular now than ever.

Alison Marshall of Broomfield owns 14 Sakic sweaters and plans to continue to represent the future Hockey Hall of Famer. She wore one of her favorites - a 2002 all-star edition - to commemorate his farewell.

"I'm sad but excited for him," Marshall said before the retirement ceremony. "Sad to see him go. He's a great player. During his (July) retirement, seeing and hearing all the things he's done over the years, reminded me of how incredible he is. Just a true a gentleman.

"Even with hockey being a rough, tough and knock-'em-out game, Joe Sakic brought class to it. He is my all-time favorite player.""