Milan Hejduk's Number and the Rafters

[bromando]

Even if we retired Hejduk and our entire 23 man roster to start this year, we'd have 60 numbers to go around. I think Hejduk is the last to get his number retired until Duchene/Landy/Mack/Johnson/Varly (hopefully they all stick around and win cups with us). That'll be another fifteen to twenty years.

 

[dahrougem2]

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.

Being a long way from running out of numbers isn't the point. The point is EVENTUALLY it will happen should the NHL and Colorado Avalanche continue to exist, so there's no reason to retire numbers if they can be honoured.

There's nothing worse than seeing a team full of weird, high numbers. Look at Montreal for example:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18, 19, 23, 29, and 33 are all retired and unavailable to be worn. Almost an entire team worth of numbers unavailable. Obviously a different situation since they've been around for 100+ years but the point is why retire the jersey when it can simply be honoured, go into the rafters, and then someone else can wear it.

 

[tigervixxxen]

But that's the whole point of retiring a jersey is so that someone else can't wear it, it's the ultimate honor to say nobody will wear it better than you. I'll happily have a bunch of weird numbers out there if it means we won 15 more Cups. It's actually kind of boring when everyone just wears 16 and 24 and whatever. 52 and 77 are "odd" anyway, it just would never ever be right to see 19 or 33 out there again. If some kid has to wear 32 because of it then so be it.

 

[dahrougem2]

I just personally don't agree with retiring jerseys. Honouring players by sending their jersey to the rafters is honourable enough, it doesn't need to be retired. These players paved the way for the future generation of players, but that future generation growing up all their lives would likely have been wearing these numbers because they idolized these players. All of a sudden, you get to the NHL and it's "Sorry kid, can't wear this" regardless of how good this player may be.

I think the players who have their jerseys in the rafters would find it pretty cool knowing that there's a player who wants to wear #19 or #33 or #21 based solely off the fact that Sakic or Roy or Forsberg wore it and were the reason this player wore a specific number their whole life.

It's like a passing of the torch, keeping the legacy going. Obviously every player isn't going to be good wearing a certain number should 10 players wear it over the course of time, but at least give them the opportunity if they want it.

 

[Ceremony]

I just personally don't agree with retiring jerseys. Honouring players by sending their jersey to the rafters is honourable enough, it doesn't need to be retired. These players paved the way for the future generation of players, but that future generation growing up all their lives would likely have been wearing these numbers because they idolized these players. All of a sudden, you get to the NHL and it's "Sorry kid, can't wear this" regardless of how good this player may be.

I think the players who have their jerseys in the rafters would find it pretty cool knowing that there's a player who wants to wear #19 or #33 or #21 based solely off the fact that Sakic or Roy or Forsberg wore it and were the reason this player wore a specific number their whole life.

It's like a passing of the torch, keeping the legacy going. Obviously every player isn't going to be good wearing a certain number should 10 players wear it over the course of time, but at least give them the opportunity if they want it.

I agree with this. Vehemently.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Why bother then? Scrap the whole concept of honoring certain players. Just put their picture up somewhere.

 

[Ceremony]

A wonderful idea. Number retirement is silly and when done as liberally as ours is tacky.

 

[bromando]

Tradition and ritual, parts of every sport. It keeps the current generation in touch with the past. It let's the new generation create an identity away from the old. I'd be pretty bummed to see Cliche in #19 or Guenin in #52 or Berra in #33. That's why you retire them.

 

[Kschey]

Tradition and ritual, parts of every sport. It keeps the current generation in touch with the past. It let's the new generation create an identity away from the old. I'd be pretty bummed to see Cliche in #19 or Guenin in #52 or Berra in #33. That's why you retire them.

I mean, even without officially retiring certain numbers, you could still handle the situation respectfully.

You obviously don't let Reto Berra take #33 but think about Duchene growing up as a big Avs and Joe Sakic fan and being drafted 3rd overall in order to become a franchise centerman for this organization. This is probably an unpopular opinion but I think him wearing #19 would have been pretty cool.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Sure it would have been cool but it will be even cooler if #9 hangs up there next to #19 someday. At the end of the day they are their own player and aren't there to emulate someone else.

 

[Kschey]

Sure it would have been cool but it will be even cooler if #9 hangs up there next to #19 someday. At the end of the day they are their own player and aren't there to emulate someone else.

It's not that I dislike jersey retirements but since when does a jersey number define a players identity?
The fact that he wears his idol's number doesn't mean that he will be remembered as Joe Sakic 2.0. He's still another player and would be remembered for his very own achievements and his very own career with the club.

Players like Joe Sakic have been outstanding players and characters for this organization but I'm quite sure that people's perception of this doesn't depend on their numbers bring retired.

As I said, I'm not an opponent of jersey retirements at all, I just don't think they are necessary to honor a player or identify them as the outstanding players they were for an organization.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

I mean, even without officially retiring certain numbers, you could still handle the situation respectfully.

You obviously don't let Reto Berra take #33 but think about Duchene growing up as a big Avs and Joe Sakic fan and being drafted 3rd overall in order to become a franchise centerman for this organization. This is probably an unpopular opinion but I think him wearing #19 would have been pretty cool.

That would be very risky. Where do you draw the line that says this guy is good enough and that guy isn't? How would you tell a player he can't have it and then turn around and give it to somebody else? You could insult a lot of players. Not a good idea IMHO. You retire it completely (which I agree with) or you make it available to anyone.

 

[Tweaky]

That would be very risky. Where do you draw the line that says this guy is good enough and that guy isn't? How would you tell a player he can't have it and then turn around and give it to somebody else? You could insult a lot of players. Not a good idea IMHO. You retire it completely (which I agree with) or you make it available to anyone.

This. Way too much danger of alienating players for such a silly reason.