Why isn't Hejduk's number retired?

[Nalens Oga]

2nd all time in goals and points for the team (ahead of Forsberg), one of the greatest goal scorers of the 2000s, and he's been retired for a decent length of time so why isn't Milan Hejduk's number retired? Did they just forget somehow or is there some bad blood with him and the team that I'm unaware of because I don't think that exists. I'm pretty sure he even attended Avs games post-retirement.

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[tigervixxxen]

We don't need the glory years parade every year it will be retired eventually and his will be the last for a while, don't see why they are in a rush.

 

[RockLobster]

We don't need the glory years parade every year it will be retired eventually and his will be the last for a while, don't see why they are in a rush.

Retiring a player of Hejduk's caliber/importance to the Avs isn't a "glory years parade"...it's recognizing what he meant to the team through his career (which was a pretty damn good one).

To reduce it to a "glory years parade" is kind of insulting.

 

[S E P H]

One way to know if a number will retire? See if anybody takes it.

So far nobody has taken the #23 in any of the training camps since Hejduk has retired. That is a good sign that his number is eventually going to be retired.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Retiring a player of Hejduk's caliber/importance to the Avs isn't a "glory years parade"...it's recognizing what he meant to the team through his career (which was a pretty damn good one).

To reduce it to a "glory years parade" is kind of insulting.

They just had the alumni game last year, maybe make it more special to have guys come in for it when it's not something every year.

 

[dahrougem2]

We don't need the glory years parade every year it will be retired eventually and his will be the last for a while, don't see why they are in a rush.

Celebrating history, especially a player of Hejduk's caliber, isn't a glory years parade.

We get it, you hate looking back on the glory years of this team. But Hejduk is arguably one of the top-5 players in this oroganization's history.

 

[McMetal]

One way to know if a number will retire? See if anybody takes it.

So far nobody has taken the #23 in any of the training camps since Hejduk has retired. That is a good sign that his number is eventually going to be retired.

I thought I remembered reading that Beauchemin wore #23 for Anaheim, and had to change it when he signed here.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

They have Sakic Roy Footer Bourque and Forsberg retired? That's more retired numbers than most dynasty level teams have.

You have three deserving retired numbers for their accomplishments in an Avs jersey: Roy Sakic Forsberg.

And now three fan favourite types in Hejduk Footer and Bourque? That's a bit much for a franchise which has only been around for 20 years.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Oh **** I thought there would be unanimous agreement on this lol I see we're arguing about this too. I posted it cos it was a detraction since I don't wanna talk about the ********** on our current team.

 

[hockeyfish]

They have Sakic Roy Footer Bourque and Forsberg retired? That's more retired numbers than most dynasty level teams have.

You have three deserving retired numbers for their accomplishments in an Avs jersey: Roy Sakic Forsberg.

And now three fan favourite types in Hejduk Footer and Bourque? That's a bit much for a franchise which has only been around for 20 years.

Not to be that person, but franchise has been around for 45 years.

 

[hockeyfish]

We don't need the glory years parade every year it will be retired eventually and his will be the last for a while, don't see why they are in a rush.

Considering there isn't a single candidate who looks likely to have this happen for the next 20 years or so, why not?

 

[Frenchy]

His time will come sooner or later , With the career he had no doubt that his number will be in the rafters one day .

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

Not to be that person, but franchise has been around for 45 years.

Yeah ole NEB has been following the team since the Stastny brothers crossed over. The fact that 26 is still in use means they've ignored all history prior to 95.

 

[Frenchy]

Yeah ole NEB has been following the team since the Stastny brothers crossed over. The fact that 26 is still in use means they've ignored all history prior to 95.

I didnt know that ole NEB was a Nordiques fan

 

[Cousin Eddie]

It'll happen. He deserves it.

 

[Don Corleone]

Sometimes I forget that 77 is retired. How stupid was that

 

[Pokecheque]

It'll be retired, it's pretty telling that the number has been essentially taken out of the rotation. As TV has said there's no rush to do this. He's the best pure scorer the Avs have ever had (although he was a far more complete player than most outside of Colorado ever gave him credit for) and will be honored as such.

I always maintain Ray Bourque is my favorite hockey player of all time, but Milan Hejduk is my favorite Avs player of all time.

 

[Ceremony]

Without posting an extremely large and correct amount of words about how number retirement in North American sports is terrible which nobody wants to read, it is. Beauchemin wore 23 before he came here. So did Rocco Grimaldi. Nobody's wearing 23 again in an Avalanche jersey.

 

[JoemAvs]

We better not win many cups in the future because otherwise we will run out of numbers .

No. The Duke probably deserves it but the Avs have been very generous with retiring numbers to say the least.


Bourque did not deserve it at all.

Sakic, Roy and Forsberg absolutely should be up there.

But realistically Footer and Hejduk are a bit iffy to retire.

 

[ArWKo]

I'm not that concerned with the timing. He obviously deserves it, it'll probably happen sooner than later, and nobody will be wearing 23 in the mean time.

 

[El Travo]

I'm almost willing to bet that Foote's number was retired because on top of his popularity 52 isn't a common number. Makes it easier to retire. Probably the same for the eventual retiring of 23. It's not like it's #9.

 

[Pokecheque]

The retirement of Ray Bourque's number doesn't and still doesn't bother me. Organizations can do whatever the hell they want with their numbers. I wish people would just lay that tired old argument to rest. Enough already. It's up there and it ain't coming down.

They should also retire #18, just 'cause.

 

[AvsRobin]

Sometimes I forget that 77 is retired. How stupid was that

It's a joke. Embarrassing.

 

[henchman21]

The retirement of Ray Bourque's number doesn't and still doesn't bother me. Organizations can do whatever the hell they want with their numbers. I wish people would just lay that tired old argument to rest. Enough already. It's up there and it ain't coming down.

They should also retire #18, just 'cause.

18 and 37 should both be put to rest.

Hejduk will get his number retired and I think he deserves it. I think people forget how good Hejduk really was. .79 career PPG in a low scoring era (higher than anybody on the Avs right now except Iggy), a Richard trophy, and 11 consecutive 20g seasons.

Hejduk is really the last number retirement the Avs will have for a long while. Probably 15+ years.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I think 37 has one more good run left in it

It's not a question of if with Hejduk, it's when.