DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche will retire the number of forward Milan Hejduk in a January ceremony.
Hejduk played all 14 of his seasons with Colorado and helped the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup title in 2001. He finished with 375 goals and 805 points in 1,020 games.
The 41-year-old Hejduk will have his No. 23 raised to the rafters on Jan. 6 against Minnesota. He becomes the sixth Avalanche player to have his sweater retired, joining Joe Sakic (19), Peter Forsberg (21), Patrick Roy (33), Adam Foote (52) and Ray Bourque (77).
Sakic, who's now the team's general manager, described Hejduk as a "quiet leader who led by example and always represented this organization and himself with class."
Hejduk was selected by Quebec in the fourth round of the 1994 draft.
The Associated Press
