wojtek_smIt was a great night for the Colorado Avalanche—and the team’s fans—at the Pepsi Center. The beleaguered hockey team started the 2009-10 season on an emotional high last night after the retirement ceremony for “Super” Joe Sakic.

The number 19 jersey of the longtime Avs captain was raised to the rafters after a brilliant career in Denver, where he led the team to two Stanley Cup championships and cemented his place among Colorado’s all-time great sports figures (via The Denver Post).

The ceremony would have been enough for most fans last night, but there was also hockey to play. The Avs whooped the San Jose Sharks 5-2, scoring two goals from winger Wojtek Wolksi (pictured) and a goal each from Darcy Tucker, John-Michael Liles, and Cody McLeod (via NHL.com). The victory marked the first win for new coach Joe Sacco, a man with no previous NHL coaching experience (via Wicked Local).

The Sharks were one of the league’s best teams last year, and the Avs, well, were one of the worst. The Silicon Valley Mercury News, the Sharks’ hometown paper, blasted its team as “less than stellar,” calling the loss to the Avalanche “particularly troubling.” Either way, Avs fans will take it, especially given the long season ahead. With Sakic being honored last night, the Pepsi Center was buzzing, making it a very good win.