Sakic won't be pressured by team

By Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 22, 2008 at 5:58 p.m.

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DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tony Granato, left, will replace Joel Quenneville, right, as head coach of the Avalanche. Granato said he hopes Joe Sakic will return to the team, but added that he won't pressure the veteran to do so.

Joe Sakic telephoned newly hired coach Tony Granato on Thursday to say congratulations, but the longtime Avalanche captain offered no hints about his future plans.

Granato, who has worked with Sakic the past six years, would love to see the soon-to- be-39 -year-old forward return for a 20th season, but he is not about to apply any unnecessary pressure.

"There's going to be nobody calling him or banging on his door or sending him cookies or anything outrageous like that," Granato said. "Leave Joe alone and he'll make the right decision when the time comes."

Sakic is one of 13 Avalanche players who will become unrestricted free agents July 1. Like Granato, general manager Francois Giguere also is giving Sakic his space.

"If we push him, nothing good will come out of him being pushed," Giguere said. "Joe and I have had the discussion. He knows that as soon as he can, we'd like to have an answer. When he's ready, he'll come talk to us."

Giguere said pending decisions by Sakic and forward Peter Forsberg will have a large impact on how the team approaches free agency this summer.

"We need to know what their intentions are so that we can establish our intentions and then put the plan in place," Giguere said. "Right now, we're planning with different contingencies."

Other notable Avalanche free agents are goalie Jose Theodore, forward Andrew Brunette and defensemen Adam Foote and John-Michael Liles.

Sticking to the story

Four years later, the story from AvaLand has not changed.

After assistant Rich Tocchet left the Avalanche coaching staff, Granato said he volunteered to step down as coach and serve as an assistant to Joel Quenneville.

Granato insisted in 2004 that he did not view the move as being demoted or fired, and that stance did not change Thursday after he was chosen as Quenneville's successor.

"It was my decision to go along with (then-team president and general manager) Pierre (Lacroix), saying we need to bring Joel Quenneville on," Granato said. "The word 'fired' is pretty strong. Change in position."

Friends forever?

Regardless of how the Avalanche spun the story, Quenneville took Granato's job in 2004 and Granato returned the favor in 2008.

The two overcame any awkward tension and became friends during their three seasons together, and Granato hoped their relationship would not change now that he has reclaimed the coach's office.

Early indications are there will be no hard feelings. Granato and Quenneville played tennis in the days after Quenneville's contract was not renewed and the two also frequently play golf together.

"I would think our friendship will remain," Granato said. "I have a lot of respect for him. We had a lot of fun together the last three years. He has a wonderful family, and our kids are good friends as well."

Thanks for the memories

Granato's introduction as Avalanche coach was the second-best thing that happened to him Thursday.

Before arriving at the Pepsi Center, he attended son Michael's graduation ceremony at Cherry Creek High School.

"I apologize, Mike, about having to run out of your ceremony pretty quick to get down here, but congratulations, buddy," Granato said as his family watched from the back of the Pepsi Center media lounge.

On May 15, Granato was in Quebec City, where his sister, Cammie, was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.

"It's been a busy couple weeks, that's for sure," Tony said.

Fighting for his guys

Known as a fiery player and loyal teammate during his NHL career, Granato has been labeled a "players' coach."

An example of that description occurred Feb. 18 in the Avalanche's 4-0 loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

In retaliation for Ian Laperriere's hit on Red Wings defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom in the first period, Detroit coach Mike Babcock repeatedly sent Red Wings tough guy Aaron Downey after Laperriere in the third.

The hit on Lidstrom was clean - Lidstrom injured a knee when he hit the boards - and Granato and Babcock engaged in a shouting match over the glass separating the benches.

"Tony's got that fire," Laperriere said. "Personally, it was great for me. I felt like he was backing me up because Babcock was sending Downey after me every shift and Tony just lost it. I felt like he had my back, and that was great."

Numbers game

.647 winning percentage for Granato in 133 games as coach, which ranks second in Avalanche franchise history.

.500 winning percentage for Granato in 18 playoff games. The Avalanche squandered a 3-1 series lead against Minnesota in the first round of the 2003 playoffs and could not overcome a 3-0 deficit against San Jose in the second round of the 2004 playoffs.

He said it

"It's nice as a player, especially when they take a guy from your own organization that everybody believes in. That's how Tony is. It's all positive. He's got the respect of every player. It's going to be good."

Laperriere, on the Avalanche hiring a familiar face in Granato.

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