Milan Hejduk retires

[EurolancheDavid]

BREAKING NEWS: Milan Hejduk retired from hockey. He will make a public announcement within a month.

Full story soon.

ADDED:

It is over! Milan Hejduk announced retirement after few months of silence. He didn´t get an offer from other NHL team and as there hasn´t been a free spot on the Colorado Avalanche roster, he confirmed his retirement exclusively to the Czech newspaper Blesk. „It´s over with hockey. I have to announce it official. There will be a news conference within a month,“ told to Czech media.

According to Hejduk, he wanted to retire after previous season, but his agent had persuade him to wait on possible new offers from other NHL teams. It didn´t happen. „If I wanted, I could play in Czech or in Russia for money, but I don´t want to go anywhere. I can´t say I am missing hockey. Now, I can practice my two sons, I am an asisstant coach of youth team. I am on the ice every day,“ said Hejduk.

In spite of Hejduk´s good mood and atmosophere in his private life, not everything ended like he wants. „It would be ideal to retire after winning the Stanley Cup, but I had to retire at some point. I am old and I didn´t want to destroy my health. I want to ski, the season is about to start,“ admits Hejduk and added how hard it was to be a NHL player: „Players doen´t sleep much in the season. Most of teammates took pills. Comebacks at 4 in the morning were crazy sometimes.“

Hejduk entered in the NHL in 1998, in the same year that Czech national team shocked all the world and won a gold medal at olympics in Nagano. Six years later, he contributed to bronze medal in Torino. Hejduk spent his entire career in Colorado Avalanche and holds a record for total played games by one player in Denver, 1020. He won the Cup in 2001 and Maurice Richard Trophy for the best goal scorer in 2003 thanks his 50 goals.

http://eurolanche.com/article.php?id=3810

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[Duskog]

All-time Avalanche great. Thanks for everything Duke.

 

[Nzap]

Not really surprising. Too bad for him he had to endure Sacco in his final years.

I think the question now becomes should his jersey be retired?
I think not, but I didn't think Foote's should've been either so what do I know.

 

[Flanagan]

Top 5 favourite player of all time.

Avalanche captain, leader by example, and one of the best snipers in his prime.




Great career! He'll never be forgotten.

 

[raistlin76]

I think the question now becomes should his jersey be retired?
I think not, but I didn't think Foote's should've been either so what do I know.

If he doesn't deserves his number to retire who does?

http://www.avalanchedb.com/records/top10/sCareer.php

Above are Avalanche records. he holds three of them (games, PPG, GWG), he spent his entire career there, he was captain of this team. IMHO he fully deserves his jersey to retire. As it was stated above All-time Avalanche great. He will be missed here!

 

[Nzap]

If he doesn't deserves his number to retire who does?

http://www.avalanchedb.com/records/top10/sCareer.php

Above are Avalanche records. he holds three of them (games, PPG, GWG), he spent his entire career there, he was captain of this team. IMHO he fully deserves his jersey to retire. As it was stated above All-time Avalanche great. He will be missed here!

Yes, as Foote's was retired it is fitting to retire Milan's number as well, but I don't agree that these two should('ve) been retired.

Sakic, Joe and Patrick were the gamechangers. Milan and Foote are more like high quality supporting cast. Bourque was a gamechanger, but for 2 years his retired number is a joke as well.
There should be 3 numbers hanging from the rafters in 2015. Those should be #21, #33, and #19. Well to be fair even Forsberg is questionable but I was okay with it.
It just pains me that an organization that has existed for less than 20 years will (maybe) have 6 numbers retired. That's just crazy.

 

[Hemsky001]

Such a shame he's ending his career in silence. Nobody who've done so much for his club deserves something like that.

 

[AslanRH]

So no more #23 for the Avs. All career with the team, and a great player on and off the ice. Definitely worthy of being in the rafters.

 

[Bonzai12]

Eurolanche breaks another news story! You guys are incredible.

Where's Dater on this

 

[Huis Clos*]

It just pains me that an organization that has existed for less than 20 years will (maybe) have 6 numbers retired. That's just crazy.

Pains you? Talk about things that truly don't matter.

 

[Alex Jones]

I think we all saw this one coming.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Hejduuuuk! Sad to see him retire, but personally happy he retired as an Avs

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

We all saw this coming but it's still sad to see the last of an era call it a career. He needs to start teaching his kids how to shoot so we can draft'em.

 

[RockLobster]

I find it odd that there are people who believe that he SHOULDN'T have his number retired....just take one look at his Franchise Stats and you'll see that it's OBVIOUS for him to have his Number retired.

After Hejduk, I don't see anyone being deserving of the honor until the time Landeskog, O'Reilly, Duchene, MacKinnon have their careers come to an end, and even then it'd have to depend on their overall careers.

 

[henchman21]

He should have his number retired. One of the all time greats in the young history of this franchise.

 

[Bonzai12]

I find it odd that there are people who believe that he SHOULDN'T have his number retired....just take one look at his Franchise Stats and you'll see that it's OBVIOUS for him to have his Number retired.

If Foote's number is retired, Hejduk is a slam dunk.

 

[hockeyfish]

Yep, agreed it should be retired. Also keep in mind it will probably be another 15 years before we retire another.

 

[RockLobster]

If Foote's number is retired, Hejduk is a slam dunk.

I felt Foote's was well deserved as well. I think some people just need to accept it, as someone already pointed out, after Hejduk, it'll be at least 15 years before an opportunity for another

 

[The Kingslayer]

Hejduks number should be retired. The guys numbers as an AVALANCHE says he should get his number retired. Such a great shot and awesome one on one skills the Duke had in his prime. Canuck Killer

 

[Flanagan]

I was curious to see if I could dig up any pictures of him in a Quebec jersey. Here's what I found:

He looks so young!

 

[Mr Serious]

Expecting to see his number raised to the rafters soon.

Thank you Milan for all those great years!

 

[Freudian]

He had a good career and not that much left in the tank. It's a good decision and he should have no regrets.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I was curious to see if I could dig up any pictures of him in a Quebec jersey. Here's what I found:

He looks so young!

Damn I need to get these. I had no idea he had cards of him in a Nords jersey. Drury should prolly have some too then. Crazy how we got both these guys in the same draft back to back

 

[member 116861]

Great guy and a great player! I wish we brought him back this season after he took so many paycuts for this club. He was a team guy, he even skipped the Olympics so he could be healthy for the Avs.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Eurolanche breaks another news story! You guys are incredible.

Where's Dater on this

Probably trapped inside another elevator. On a plane.