Joe Sacco (ice hockey)
American ice hockey coach and player
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Joseph William Sacco (born February 4, 1969) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). His younger brother David Sacco also played in the NHL.
| Joe Sacco | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
February 4, 1969 Medford, Massachusetts, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Right wing | ||||||||||||||||
| Shot | Left | ||||||||||||||||
| Played for |
Toronto Maple Leafs Mighty Ducks of Anaheim New York Islanders Washington Capitals Philadelphia Flyers | ||||||||||||||||
| Coached for |
Colorado Avalanche Boston Bruins | ||||||||||||||||
| National team |
 United States | ||||||||||||||||
| NHL draft |
71st overall, 1987 Toronto Maple Leafs | ||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 1990–2003 | ||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2005–present | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Playing career
As a youth, Sacco played in the 1982 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Boston Braves minor ice hockey team.[1] He played ice hockey for Medford High School in Massachusetts.[2]
Drafted in the 1987 NHL entry draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sacco played for Boston University before joining the Maple Leafs. Sacco also played for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, and Philadelphia Flyers. In 738 NHL games, he recorded 94 goals and 119 assists.[3]
International play
Sacco represented the United States national team in 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2002 World Championships. He also played in the 1992 Winter Olympics.
Coaching career
In the 2005–06 season, two years into retirement from playing, Sacco was hired as an assistant coach for the Lowell Lock Monsters, affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. On May 7, 2007, after two years as an assistant, Sacco was named head coach of the Colorado Avalanche's new AHL franchise, the Lake Erie Monsters.[4] Sacco then led the Monsters for the next two seasons and while recording somewhat unimpressive season's numbers with limited resources was credited with helping development of younger players to the NHL.[5]
On June 4, 2009, a day after Avalanche head coach Tony Granato was fired, Sacco was promoted and later introduced as the new head coach of the Colorado Avalanche for the 2009–10 season, a job former Avs great Patrick Roy turned down days prior.[6] After being projected finishing 15th in the Western Conference by most ice hockey pundits, Sacco coached the Avalanche to the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs posting a record of 43–30–9 in his rookie year of coaching in the NHL.[3] His team was eliminated in the conference quarterfinals after six games by the San Jose Sharks. On April 28, 2010, Sacco was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award alongside Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes and Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predators.[7] Following the 2012–13 season, his fourth year at the helm, finishing last in the Western Conference and out of the playoffs for a third consecutive year, Sacco was relieved of his duties on April 28, 2013,[8] ending his eight-year association with the Avalanche.[9]
On July 2, 2013, the Buffalo Sabres hired Sacco as an assistant coach.[10]
On July 24, 2014, the Boston Bruins hired Sacco as an assistant coach.[7] In July 2024, he was promoted to associate coach.[2] On November 19, 2024, the Bruins named Sacco as interim head coach after Jim Montgomery's firing.[11] Sacco went 24-30-6 as interim coach as the Bruins finished last in the Atlantic Division and missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2015–16 season. As the Bruins interviewed candidates for a new head coach, Sacco was among those involved.[12] However, on June 2, 2025, it was reported that Sacco had been informed that he would not remain as head coach.[13]
On June 5, 2025, Sacco was named an assistant coach for the New York Rangers.[14]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1985–86 | Medford High School | HS-MA | 20 | 30 | 30 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | Medford High School | HS-MA | 21 | 22 | 32 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Boston University | HE | 34 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Boston University | HE | 33 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Boston University | HE | 44 | 28 | 24 | 52 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Newmarket Saints | AHL | 49 | 18 | 17 | 35 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 20 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | United States National Team | Intl | 50 | 11 | 26 | 37 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 17 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | St. John's Maple Leafs | AHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1992–93 | St. John's Maple Leafs | AHL | 37 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 45 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 2 | ||
| 1992–93 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 23 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 84 | 19 | 18 | 37 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 41 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 76 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 77 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 35 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim | NHL | 55 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | New York Islanders | NHL | 25 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | New York Islanders | NHL | 73 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 79 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 50 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2000–01 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 69 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 48 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2001–02 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 65 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Philadelphia Phantoms | AHL | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 34 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 738 | 94 | 119 | 213 | 421 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | ||||
International
Head coaching record
NHL
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win % | Result | ||
| COL | 2009–10 | 82 | 43 | 30 | 9 | 95 | 2nd in Northwest | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in conference quarterfinals (SJS) |
| COL | 2010–11 | 82 | 30 | 44 | 8 | 68 | 4th in Northwest | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| COL | 2011–12 | 82 | 41 | 35 | 6 | 88 | 3rd in Northwest | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| COL | 2012–13 | 48 | 16 | 25 | 7 | 39 | 5th in Northwest | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| BOS | 2024–25 | 60 | 24 | 30 | 6 | 54 | 8th in Atlantic | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| NHL total | 354 | 154 | 164 | 36 | 2 | 4 | .333 | 1 playoff appearance | |||
AHL
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | OTL | SOL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win % | Result | ||
| LEM | 2007–08 | 80 | 26 | 41 | 6 | 7 | 65 | 6th in North | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| LEM | 2008–09 | 80 | 34 | 38 | 3 | 5 | 76 | 6th in North | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| AHL total | 160 | 60 | 79 | 9 | 12 | — | — | — | ||||