NHL legend Joe Sakic reflects on Olympic glory as Colorado Avalanche stars prepare for Milan

There are moments from Salt Lake City 2002 that remain frozen in Joe Sakic's memory. The roar of the crowd. The teammates were screaming in celebration. The breakaway goal that sealed Olympic gold and ended Canada's 50-year drought in men's hockey.The Avalanche legend scored twice and added four points total in the gold medal game victory over Team USA before being named the tournament MVP. But when asked recently about what made the Olympics special, Sakic immediately went somewhere else entirely.By the time the 2002 Winter Olympics rolled in, Sakic was already a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Avs, having won his second championship just months before in 2001. His trophy case was already filled to the brim, including the 1996 Conn Smythe and 2001 Hart Memorial trophies.In fact, that Olympic gold wasn’t even his first international title, as in 1994 he led the national side to the 1994 IIHF World Championships, in the process ending Team Canada’s 33-year gold medal drought. But that tournament in Utah remains deeply personal to him."Playing in an Olympic Games, you represent your country," Sakic told The Athletic. "You get to experience it, be part of the Olympic village, the whole Olympic atmosphere. You go check out other events on off days. You're training with the other athletes. It was just an amazing experience to be part of that."Now serving as president of hockey operations for the Avalanche, Sakic will watch his twin superstars experience what he once did. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, along with defensive partner Devon Toews, will wear the Olympic Maple Leaf when the NHL returns to the Olympics after a 12-year absence.The timing could not be better for MacKinnon, who is having a Hart Trophy-caliber season and is the first player in the NHL to reach 40 goals. He was named MVP at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February and enters Milan riding elite form."Everybody knows how great Nate is, what a great competitor he is," Sakic said. "He's a winner. The Olympics are the showcase for the world, and the rest of the world will see how great a hockey player he is. Same for Cale."The opportunity extends beyond individual glory. Sakic understands the importance of exposing NHL talent to a global audience that has missed Olympic hockey for more than a decade. "The NHL hasn't been there in 12 years," he said. "There will be a whole new generation of kids around the world that get to see how good these players are." The Avalanche sit atop the Central Division with a 36-8-9 record as the Olympic break approaches. Competition begins February 11 in Milan.