Adam Foote - Playing Career

Playing Career

Foote grew up playing hockey for the Brooklin-Whitby Minor Hockey Association (OMHA). He was a teammate of future NHLer Keith Primeau for several years, leading their teams to several OMHA "AA" Championships in the early 1980s. After a successful midget season with Brooklin-Whitby's AA team, Foote was a 2nd round underage choice (21st overall) of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the 1988 OHL Priority Selection. Foote went on to play three OHL seasons with the Greyhounds, winning a J. Ross Robertson Cup and appearing in the Memorial Cup in his final season under future NHL head coach Ted Nolan.

Foote was selected 22nd overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft. He played for Quebec for four seasons until the franchise moved to Colorado (and became the Colorado Avalanche) in 1995–96. Foote won his first of two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche that year, sweeping the Florida Panthers in the Finals. Five years later, Foote helped the Avalanche to a second Stanley Cup championship in 2001, defeating the New Jersey Devils in seven games.

The following season, in 2001–02, Foote recorded a career-high 22 assists in the regular season before missing out on his second straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance with the Avalanche, losing in seven games to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals. In 2002–03, Foote had another career-year offensively, scoring personal bests of 11 goals and 31 points. After a 30-point campaign in 2003–04, he remained inactive in 2004–05 due to the NHL lockout.

When NHL play was set to resume in 2005–06, Foote parted ways with the Avalanche franchise after thirteen seasons, signing a three-year contract worth $13.5 million with the Columbus Blue Jackets on August 1, 2005. He was immediately named an alternate captain for the upcoming season, but was assigned the Blue Jackets' captaincy in December 2005 when defenceman Luke Richardson stepped down from the position. He became the fourth captain in franchise history. Three seasons later, with his contract set to expire, Foote was traded from the Blue Jackets back to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for two conditional draft picks on February 26, 2008. The trade occurred amid speculation that the Blue Jackets were trying to re-sign Foote to keep him in Columbus, but could not meet Foote's asking price. Later that night, he arrived in Calgary during the first period to play against the Flames. Foote managed one goal and 15 assists for a total of 16 points in 75 games with the Avs and Blue Jackets combined.

On June 30, 2008, Foote agreed to re-sign with the Avalanche with a two-year $6 million deal at $3 million per season. His first full season back in Colorado was cut short by injury and he managed just 42 games. Further major injuries to key players in the lineup resulted in the Avalanche finishing in last place in the Western Conference. The following off-season long-time Avalanche captain Joe Sakic announced his retirement. As training camp was set to begin for the 2009–10 season, Foote was named Sakic's successor on September 11, 2009, becoming the eighth captain in franchise history (including the Nordiques) and just the second in Avalanche history.

On May 25, 2010, the Avalanche re-signed Foote to a one-year contract extension for the 2010-11 NHL season worth approximately $1 million.

On April 10, 2011, Foote played his last game with the Avalanche, winning 4-3 in OT against the Edmonton Oilers during the season finale. He was awarded first star of the game. As of 2012, foreward Milan Hejduk of the Colorado Avalanche and goaltender Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins are the only players drafted by the Quebec Nordiques still active in the NHL. Thomas' career is currently on hiatus.