Former stars Tony Amonte, Tom Barrasso, John LeClair and the 1998 U.S. Olympic Women?s Ice Hockey team will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, as reported by the Associated Press. The 2009 Hall of Fame class announced Tuesday by USA Hockey also includes the late Frank Zamboni, inventor of the storied ice resurfacing machine.

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the organization will officially retire number 19 in honor of team captain Joe Sakic. The club will raise Sakic?s number 19 in a special ceremony prior to the start of the club?s 2009-10 season opener (game date and time to be announced). ?It is appropriate and deserving that we launch the season by honoring Joe?s accomplishments,? said Avalanche President Pierre Lacroix. ?It will be a tremendous event for a very special person and hockey player. We can?t put into words what he meant to this franchise and to our hockey fans. ?Joe?s numbers and records speak for themselves. He?s been the face of the franchise for two complete decades and his impact on this team and this city cannot be overstated. By retiring number 19, we are honoring one of the finest professionals in the history of the National Hockey League and we are bidding farewell to one of the greatest individuals in pro sports.? Sakic?s 19 will be the third sweater number to be retired in the 14-year history of the Colorado Avalanche, joining Ray Bourque (77) and Patrick Roy (33). Sakic will be the seventh player in franchise history to have his sweater number retired, as the Quebec Nordiques retired the jerseys of Peter Stastny (26), Michel Goulet (16), Marc Tardif (8) and J.C. Tremblay (3).