Avalanche C Sakic out six weeks

Dec 3, 2008 - 7:16 PM DENVER (Ticker) -- Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic will be sidelined six weeks with a herniated disk in his back, the team announced Wednesday.

The 39-year-old center, who was limited him to five games last month, was injured in Friday's 2-1 loss in Phoenix. He sat out Saturday's 4-3 victory over Tampa Bay and Monday's 6-5 win over Minnesota.

Sakic has two goals and 10 assists in 15 games this season. He is fifth on the team in scoring with 12 points.

"He'll continue to be monitored by our medical staff who will prescribe a treatment regimen that will hopefully allow Joe to be back playing as quickly as possible," Avalanche executive vice president and general manager Francois Giguere said. "Our team physicians are confident that this course of action is the best for Joe at this point in time."

Since straining his back during a weight room session earlier last month, Sakic has played only one full game - against St. Louis on November 26. He has missed seven games and made brief appearances in two others.

"I'm comfortable with the plan going forward and will work as hard as I always have in order to return to the lineup," Sakic said.

Sakic registered 13 goals and 27 assists last campaign and added two tallies and eight assists in the postseason as Colorado reached the Western Conference semifinals.

Drafted 15th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1987, Sakic moved to Colorado with the franchise in 1996 and has been the team's captain for 16 seasons. Sakic has 625 goals, 1,016

assists for 1,641 points in 1,378 career games.