After 14 seasons, 375 goals, 430 assists, 1,020 games and one memorable Stanley Cup championship, the longest-tenured member of the Avalanche — Milan Hedjuk — will watch as his jersey is raised to the Pepsi Center rafters on January 6, 2018.
Hejduk’s No. 23 will be the sixth sweater number retired in the history of the Colorado Avalanche, joining Joe Sakic (#19), Peter Forsberg (#21), Patrick Roy (#33), Adam Foote (#52) and Ray Bourque (#77).
One-time Avalanche teammate and now executive vice president/general manager Joe Sakic played more games for the organization with 1,378, but only 870 of those games were with the Avalanche after the former Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver.
“Milan was a tremendous player, a great teammate, a winner and a true professional in every sense,” said Sakic, in a statement released by the team. “He had some of the quickest and smoothest hands of anyone I ever played with, was an elusive skater, had a great release, terrific hockey sense and vision. Milan was not only one of the great goal scorers in the history of the franchise, but also one of the best in the NHL for over a decade.
“Milan was one of the most humble players I ever had the privilege of competing with,” continued Sakic. “He was a quiet leader who led by example and always represented this organization and himself with class. His number 23 certainly belongs in the Pepsi Center rafters.”
Hejduk’s career achievements are legion. He captured the franchise’s first-ever Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer in 2002-03, after being selected as a Calder Trophy finalist and a member of the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1998-99. Hejduk was a three-time All-Star — in 2000, 2001 and 2009 — and competed in three Winter Olympics, capturing a gold medal with the Czech Republic at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and a bronze medal at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy.
“I am truly honored to have my jersey raised to the rafters alongside those great Avalanche players,” said Hejduk, in a statement released by the team. “From my rookie season here in Colorado, I always felt a tremendous sense of pride wearing this sweater and being a part of this organization. I was fortunate to play so many years here and I have so many wonderful memories. I would like to thank the Kroenke family and everyone at the Avalanche for this honor, it means so much to me and my family. I realized my lifelong dream of not only playing in the NHL but also winning a Stanley Cup and to spend my entire career in Colorado was very special. Thanks to all the Avalanche fans for your support, I can’t wait to see everyone on January 6th.”
The former Avalanche captain is also the Pepsi Center’s all-time leader with 188 goals and 397 points, so it seems only fitting that his sweater will hang from the rafters, forever watching over the ice that he dominated for so long.
