 Though Sakic was a quiet individual , he was able to motivate his team to play at higher levels , which earned him the respect of his peers and executives . The first signs of Sakic 's leadership began to show while still a member of the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL . After the bus crash that killed four of his teammates , Sakic was seen as the leader of the team , acknowledging that the experience changed his outlook on life . Early in his career with the Nordiques ( when Mike Hough was still captain ) , with the team hoping to rebuild around their top draft pick Eric Lindros , and holding onto Lindros ' rights for the season when he refused to sign , Sakic suggested that the team could progress without Lindros saying " We only want players here who have the passion to play the game . I 'm tired of hearing that name . He 's not here and there are a lot of others in this locker room who really care about the game . " Lindros was traded a year later , bringing in a number of quality players , which vastly improved the Nordiques . Sakic 's leadership qualities led him to be courted by other teams , such as in the summer of 1997 , when the New York Rangers offered him a large contract in order to replace departed captain Mark Messier , though the Avalanche ultimately matched the offer and retained Sakic . 
