"Peter Forsberg will not be on hand today to see Joe Sakic announce his retirement from the Avalanche. But he'll be there in spirit. Forsberg, who starred with Sakic to form a deadly 1-2 punch at center in Colorado, called Sakic "one of the most important people in my life." "I owe him a lot," Forsberg told the Swedish newspaper Expressen. "He really helped me when I came to Quebec, as a young European player a little nervous about what was ahead." Forsberg was at the Pepsi Center to see Sakic at the Avalanche's final regular-season game in April. Although he has yet to make his own retirement official, Forsberg said it "doesn't look good" that he'll play in the NHL again because of foot injuries."