Milan Hejduk's Number and the Rafters

[expatriatedtexan]

If it is not lifted to the rafters I pity the fool who tries to wear it. As others have said, that's Hejduk's number...anyone else wearing it would be stupid because the chances of them living up to his numbers (GP, G, A, Pts) or silly swim on the ice goal celebration is simply stupid.

Can you imagine a conversation where a newly drafted player or a player traded for requests to wear his number? It would go like this:

AVs: What number do you want?
Player: 23.
AVs: Really?
Player: Yes.
AVs: Any way we can talk you into 32 instead. Or maybe some other number...like the last two digits in the year you were born, married, your first child was born or you got your first NHL goal?
Player: Nope...I really want 23.
AVs: Ok...here's your LEM #23 sweater. Wear it with pride.

It might not happen immediately...but there is a reason no player ever took 21 during Foppa's absence. Some numbers on some teams belong to a truly gifted and beloved player.

I think the bigger question here is will #23 make it into the HHOF? 1 Stanley Cup (2001), 1 Rocket Richard Trophy (2003), 3 time All Star (2000, 2001, 2009), Gold Medal in the Olympics (1998), Bronze Medal in the Olympics (2006), Bronze Medal in the World Championships (1998) and the Bud Light Plus/Minus Award in (2003.) He'll be close to if not over 1,000 games played in the NHL. If he plays one more season after this could potentially hit 400 goals, 450ish assists and if he plays two more seasons flirt with 1,000 points.

I tend to think that if he played in Montreal, Toronto or any major Eastern market he would eventually get in on those numbers and stats; however, playing in Denver all these years will make him fall far short of the mark for getting in.

In case you are wondering, I do believe there is a huge East Coast bias when it comes to evaluating players careers and value to a team over time.

[edit...There are players with less on their resume that are in the HHOF.]

 

[djboos22]

I think you are making an argument against him making the HOF. It's usually easier to get your jersey retired than make the HOF, and stats are not the only measure for that honor. I think Milan's done enough all around to merit the honor. One Team, 2 Cups!

1 cup...but your right, were not talking about the HOF. I really believe he is one of the great avs of all time and it would be a shame not to retire his number. After all hes done i think it would be a disgrace on our fan base not to do it. Sometimes we cant be so critical.

 

[Jimmy Carter]

I know Bourque's number shouldn't be retired here, but I think it helps his case that he wore such an uncommon number. If he was still wearing #7 when he played here, no way it gets retired. I'd bet the team just played the odds. It was more likely some people would see not retiring it as an insult than there is to be another star wearing #77 who wants the number.

Another thing about Hejduk-- has this guy ever signed for market value? I was looking through some of his contracts and he gas consistently taken a discount to stay with Colorado.

This is another reason his number should be retired. Just about every contract he's signed he could have gotten way more on the open market, but he always takes a hometown discount to stay here. Combine that with his high level of play over his career, I don't know how you can not retire the guy's number. He's given so much to the club that it'd be a slap in the face for them to not return the favor by way of retiring his number.

 

[Drury_Sakic]

I really do not understand why people don't think it will happen....and Hejduk is a clear hall of famer as well, perhaps not first ballot, but it will happen without a doubt.

If he plays for one more season after this, which the odds of which are looking good based on his play thus far this year, he will almost certainly break 400 goals and end up somewhere around 820-840 points and have a career +/- around 120.

Another round or two of playoffs over the next season or two would also not hurt his case. 76 points in 112 playoff games is top shelf.

Fourth in franchise history in goals and points, fifth in assists, and he will be 3rd in franchise history in goals before its all said in done if he plays 1 more year. 9 regular season OT goals (franchise record). 58 game winning goals, 2nd to Sakic in franchise history. Fourth in franchise history in +/-. Only Av other than Sakic to have a 50 goal season...

Looking at the NHL all time list, Hejduk is 71st all time in points, and looking at the list he will probably move into the top 65 before its all said and done with one great season or two good years.

 

[zhack]

Montreal has like 14. Toronto only technically has 2, but there are 9 others that can't be worn.

Interesting, every number from 1-35 has been retired by someone, except 13, 26, 28 and 34. No teams have any of those. (the only others retired are 66, 77, 99)

Edit: It's also weird to me that Colorado didn't honour the Nordiques number retirements even a little bit. I could see an exception for Stastny, but all of the numbers are currently being worn.(3, 8, 16, 26)

the numbers 1-35 are the most common numbers because, way way way way back in the day the best players wore small numbers, and no one thought to got high in their jersey numbers until like the late 70s.

back on topic, hejduk 1000000000000000000000% deserves to be in the rafters beside the other greats...and foote better get up there too. and i am sure within the next 2-3 yrs they both will be up there. now the HoF is another story, but he for sure deserves to be i the rafters

 

[JAS 39 Gripen]

I get how Hejduk is one of you better players since the start of your young franchise, but youre really setting a low bar at who should get their jersey up there if Hejduks a 'must' . Yes I know that Rays jersey is up there, but they were desperate back then, do you want to be out of numbers before your franschise turns 30 years old?

Hejduk was a 'good' player, not a great one

 

[Nzap]

I think Hejduk and Foote are two difficult calls to make. I think they will go the easy way and retire both. I wouldn't be opposed to it, but there is still something missing in those two players that both Forsberg and Sakic had.

Can anyone say what numbers other franchises have retired on which grounds?

 

[bromando]

Is this the year for Hejduk? To early? Whether or not you think he should get his number retired, it seems to me like he will. If I remember right, we've retired a number every two years since #19 so this would be the year for him. Captain, rocket winner, 14 20 goal seasons in a row, and a good dude.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I doubt it, lots of other things going on this year might be better to wait and give him more hype next year.

 

[Joe Sakic]

Would be pretty embarrassing if we didn't retire it.

Here we are with 77 unwearable but not 23?!

 

[dahrougem2]

I doubt it, lots of other things going on this year might be better to wait and give him more hype next year.

This is the perfect year to do it, actually. 20 year Avalanche anniversary commemorating without a shadow of a doubt the greatest Avalanche-only player of all time thus far. Couldn't think of a better year for Hejduk's number to go up.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

This is the perfect year to do it, actually. 20 year Avalanche anniversary commemorating without a shadow of a doubt the greatest Avalanche-only player of all time thus far. Couldn't think of a better year for Hejduk's number to go up.

WOAH WOAH. A little bold eh? Did you forget about Ryan Stoa?

No sarcasm emojii needed

 

[Foppa2118]

Is this the year for Hejduk? To early? Whether or not you think he should get his number retired, it seems to me like he will. If I remember right, we've retired a number every two years since #19 so this would be the year for him. Captain, rocket winner, 14 20 goal seasons in a row, and a good dude.

I think they need to spread these out to more than every two years. Hopefully that's what they're doing with Hedgie.

Guys like Forsberg, Sakic, and Roy are special cases. They get the no brainer, don't wait a second treatment. Everyone else should get the HOF treatment, and wait 3+ years. Preferably, 5+ IMO to make it special. It should be about honoring someone from the team's previous generation, not their current one.

 

[Tweaky]

I think they should at least wait until the guy that started the year after him is no longer under contract.

 

[bromando]

I think they need to spread these out to more than every two years. Hopefully that's what they're doing with Hedgie.

Guys like Forsberg, Sakic, and Roy are special cases. They get the no brainer, don't wait a second treatment. Everyone else should get the HOF treatment, and wait 3+ years. Preferably, 5+ IMO to make it special. It should be about honoring someone from the team's previous generation, not their current one.

I agree with that but Foote was in that two year spread not Roy. I could see next year or the year after. Could be cool to do it for the 23rd year too

 

[Ceremony]

I really do not understand why people don't think it will happen....and Hejduk is a clear hall of famer as well, perhaps not first ballot, but it will happen without a doubt.

It's a bit odd quoting a post made ~8 months before I joined this board but I can say quite confidently that Milan Hejduk will not be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in my lifetime.

 

[nanzenkills]

WOAH WOAH. A little bold eh? Did you forget about Ryan Stoa?

No sarcasm emojii needed

Didn't Stoa play for Washington also?

 

[agentblack]

If it is not lifted to the rafters I pity the fool who tries to wear it. As others have said, that's Hejduk's number...anyone else wearing it would be stupid because the chances of them living up to his numbers (GP, G, A, Pts) or silly swim on the ice goal celebration is simply stupid.

Can you imagine a conversation where a newly drafted player or a player traded for requests to wear his number? It would go like this:

AVs: What number do you want?
Player: 23.
AVs: Really?
Player: Yes.
AVs: Any way we can talk you into 32 instead. Or maybe some other number...like the last two digits in the year you were born, married, your first child was born or you got your first NHL goal?
Player: Nope...I really want 23.
AVs: Ok...here's your LEM #23 sweater. Wear it with pride.

It might not happen immediately...but there is a reason no player ever took 21 during Foppa's absence. Some numbers on some teams belong to a truly gifted and beloved player.

Just like any grunt that is trying to get a job, you gotta do your research on the company.

 

[tigervixxxen]

They don't give out 23 in the AHL either

 

[HockeyFan100]

This is the perfect year to do it, actually. 20 year Avalanche anniversary commemorating without a shadow of a doubt the greatest Avalanche-only player of all time thus far. Couldn't think of a better year for Hejduk's number to go up.

Patrick Roy?

 

[bromando]

Patrick Roy?

Avalanche only as in Hejduk only played with the Avs, no other nhl teams. Roy was a Canadien before we traded for him.

 

[HockeyFan100]

Avalanche only as in Hejduk only played with the Avs, no other nhl teams. Roy was a Canadien before we traded for him.

Oh ok, I was thinking of just Nordiques/Avalanche players, my bad..

 

[BK Avs]

I think the decision to retire Hejduk's number or not will set a precedent as to how the Avs treat jersey retirements in the future. Some franchises are very stringent with retiring numbers; the Red Sox have only retired 7 in their long history (not including Jackie Robinson). Whereas some are much more liberal with retirement; the Yankees have 20+ numbers retired.

If the Avs don't lift #23 to the rafters, I'd expect to have a much more Red Sox type policy, where only HHOFers get the honor.

 

[dahrougem2]

Personally I think it should go up in the rafters, but shouldn't be off limits to wear, but I also believe that for Sakic, Forsberg, Bourque, and Roy. I'm not a fan of retiring numbers, I prefer honouring them. There are only so many numbers to go around and if teams retire them, eventually at some point either they're going to be un-retired, or teams will have to start allowing three-digit jerseys and I don't want to see that lol.

Have the ceremony with the banner, honour the number, but don't retire it. But do this with all numbers

 

[tigervixxxen]

We are a LONG way from running out of numbers. It's not the NFL where you need 50+ numbers for a team. It's fine if 10 or so are unavailable. There are still numbers that nobody has worn ever in Avs history.

To me it has a lot to do with honoring the Cup winners. Since that will pretty much dry up after Hejduk it's not a concern of mine there are too many.