"Joe Sakic doesn't want the Avalanche to be one of those NHL franchises whose most recent championship banners appear yellowed and brittle.

"We want to see more banners," Sakic said Tuesday in his first formal news conference in his new job as Avalanche executive adviser and alternate governor.

After a 29th-place finish and more holes in their lineup than in a field full of groundhogs, a third Stanley Cup banner anytime soon might seem a fantasy to Avs fans. But that's what some said about the awful Quebec Nordiques teams Sakic played on in the late 1980s and 1990s.

"I was there when the Quebec Nordiques decided to go in the direction of rebuilding," Sakic said. "I know exactly what they're going to expect. I know as a player when you go through those things, it's tough to get out of it. But I'm very excited to be part of this going forward. We finished 29th, so there's holes. As a group, starting tomorrow, we're going to get together with everybody, the whole hockey organization, and we need to figure out where we need to go."

Sakic said he will be involved in all aspects of the organization.

"The time is right for me," he said. "I just want to get to know the players and coaches and help in any way I can."

Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman said it will be a great benefit to have a future Hall of Famer, who spent his entire career with the organization, to help get back to winning ways.

"To have a Joe Sakic to be able to turn to in any hockey matter is going to be tremendous for me and the organization," Sherman said. "And I think it will be invaluable to have him be able to sit across the table from any player, and just talk to and help with their game. There's nobody in the game who wouldn't want to get any hockey advice from Joe Sakic."

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