STATELINE, Nev. — Deciding whether he should give up the game that has defined his life isn’t getting any easier for Joe Sakic.
The Avalanche center said Thursday that he won’t make a decision about his future until near the time training camp begins in September.
“I’ve got some time,” the 19-year NHL veteran said before his tee time at the American Century Championship Celebrity-Am on Thursday morning near Lake Tahoe. “I want to make sure I’m 100 percent whichever way I choose.
“I’ve played the game my whole life. It’s a great game; I love the game. Just mentally, right now, I’m still in a state of still deciding. When I know for sure, I can’t tell you when that is going to be, but it will be before camp.”
As he has moved closer to retirement, Sakic, 39, has resorted to signing one-year contracts with the Avalanche. If he decides not to rejoin the club, a reason could be the length of the season.
“It’s a long season. Do I want to go through another long season?” Sakic said.
Sakic had been nearly injury-free for most of his career but missed 38 games last season after surgery to repair a sports hernia. He still led the Avs in playoff scoring with 10 points in 10 games.
“Fortunately for Joe, health isn’t an issue,” said Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 gold medal U.S. Olympic hockey team, who also is playing in the golf tournament. “At this point, I think he’s made enough money. It’s clearly a decision of, does he want to go through the grind? I’d compare it to Brett Favre. Does he want to go through another grind mentally, physically of another long season?”
It’s not uncommon for sports stars to struggle with the decision to play or retire. John Elway, who also is playing in the tournament, retired in 1999 after directing the Broncos to two consecutive Super Bowl victories.
Because football meant so much, it was difficult to break that bond.
“It’s hard to take that final little step, just because it’s something you’ve done your whole life,” Elway said. “To finally step over that line and say I’m never going to be able do this again, it’s a very, very hard step to take.”
Former NHL center Dan Quinn said the allure of playing golf whenever he wanted provoked him into retirement at 32. He said athletes considering retirement need a focus on what’s beyond their playing careers.
“Guys who are 36 or 37 years old are still capable of playing, so it’s a tough decision,” Quinn said. “That’s why some guys can’t stop. I don’t blame them. Play as long as you can unless you really have something else that you are looking forward to that is going to challenge you and stimulate you.”
Sakic said his family has left the decision up to him.
“My family is very supportive,” he said. “Whatever I want to do, they are behind me.”
While the Avalanche hasn’t been very active in the free-agent market, Sakic said he is pleased with the acquisition of former Toronto Maple Leafs right winger Darcy Tucker. He signed a two-year deal worth $4.5 million.
“I like it. Darcy Tucker adds some grit,” Sakic said. “I think we made big strides last year. We just ran into a hot team in the playoffs in Detroit. We did have a lot of injuries, not that there are any excuses. It would be nice to face them with everybody on our team.”
Sakic realizes it won’t be any easier to knock the Stanley Cup champions off their perch. Detroit has added right winger Marian Hossa, previously with the Penguins.
“I’m sure everybody around the league saw that. ‘They just added another world-class player,’ ” Sakic said.
The question remains: Will Sakic be here this season to compete against the Red Wings’ latest big-name player?
