The criteria for a retired number should be HoF carreer with most of it on the team. To me, Bourque and Hedjuk don't fit the bill, Bourque was not here long enough and Milan is not HoF material. Statistically a retired number is much bigger acomplishment that the HoF. To me, Foote also does not deserve to have his number retired. Only GREAT players should have their numbers retired. To me it's 19, 21 and 33 only.
That's silly. As someone else said, it's not about a player's value to the entire league, it's about a player's value to his team. We're letting a bunch of sportswriters and some building in Toronto decide which numbers we should retire? Get outta here.
Two things about Bourque's number: I agree, they should not have done it. But on the other hand, there are no set rules on retiring numbers. Teams can do it however they wish.
As a life long avs fan I hope if he is healthy he comes back for one more season. Hejduk is my favorite player of all time and after he leaves we have nothing from our storied past I'm so glad he was captain for at least 1 year so when i'm collecting jerseys I can get his jersey with a C on it. Foote&Hejduk's numbers will look good in the rafters for sure I don't even see a debate :sly: long way from retiring another number after that.
The criteria for a retired number should be HoF carreer with most of it on the team. To me, Bourque and Hedjuk don't fit the bill, Bourque was not here long enough and Milan is not HoF material. Statistically a retired number is much bigger acomplishment that the HoF. To me, Foote also does not deserve to have his number retired. Only GREAT players should have their numbers retired. To me it's 19, 21 and 33 only.
With all due respect to Foote and Duke, I agree with 19, 21, 33. Those guys are in a class of their own. Bourque's # being up there is actually kind of embarassing IMO.
Different teams have different philosophies regarding these things. Avalanche, being a new team that chose not to inherit the history of the franchise, are less restrictive than an original six team.
Hejduk's number will be retired. It wouldn't be in Detroit. It's no big deal.
If we retired Foote's, Hejduk's must be retired. I'm not sure I agree with either one, but you have to do it if Foote's was.
/Shrug, I don't know. I'm kind of torn.
The team should have higher standards for number retirement in general.
He's the only memeber of our glory days teams that spent the entire career in Denver alongside Sakic, he has the most games played as an Av in franchise history, he's 2nd in goals to Sakic, 3rd in assists to Sakic and Forsberg, he has the 2nd highest point total in Avs history and he's the only Av to win the Rocket Richard trophy.
IMHO he's more than a deserving candidate when it comes to retiring his jersey.
The team should have higher standards for number retirement in general.
#33- No brainer
#19- No brainer
#21- No brainer
#77- He only spent 15 months with the franchise, but if you see the retirement of #77 as an honor to Raymond Bourque the hockey player, not the Av, as you're supposed to then it would make more sense to more people. He was the catalyst for the 2001 Cup and had a brilliant career in the NHL. One of the best NHL players of all-time and a key member of a championship team.
Not sure why people continually b**** about the standards the Avalanche use for retiring numbers.
Adam Graves has his number retired by the New York Rangers and Jeremy Roenick has his number retired by the Coyotes yet people will complain if Hejduk's number is retired even though he has 50 more career goals (in fewer games) than a guy like Graves and scored every single one of his points and goals for the Avs unlike a guy like Roenick who is more remembered by many hockey fans as a Blackhawk and Flyer than a Coyote.
Ken Daneyko has his number retired by the Devils, but people will complain that the Avs have their standards too low if Foote's number is retired.
Consider me as someone who doesn't get the complaining about this issue. The Avalanche was a ridiculously stacked team from 1995 to the mid 2000's. There should be multiple players with their numbers retired from that era.
Different teams have different philosophies regarding these things. Avalanche, being a new team that chose not to inherit the history of the franchise, are less restrictive than an original six team.
Hejduk's number will be retired. It wouldn't be in Detroit. It's no big deal.
The Rangers are an original six team that retired the number of Adam Graves like I mentioned in my other post.
Graves scored 280 regular season goals for the Rangers and was a part of 1 Cup winner. Hejduk has 371 for the Avs and was a member of 1 Cup winner. He also has a goal scoring title and played in a worse offensive era than Graves.
The statement that Hejduk wouldn't have his number retired by an original six franchise isn't all that true.
I agree with Bourque's number being retired here, and I think that something important when considering a player who didn't spend all that long with a certain franchise to be retired by that franchise along with "their" franchise is this: Did they make a big impact where they spent last time and will the fans from that place remember them? I think the answer to both of these with Bourque and the Avs is quite obviously yes. Swatting that puck out of midair was absolutely iconic. Everybody in the hockey world agrees that Bourque was, is, and will always be Bruin. But, everybody also knows that here is where he finally won it. Any non-casual fan of the Avs will always remember Ray Bourque and remember that swat that helped bring them the cup.
Now, when Teemu's number gets retired, should it get retired here? No. In fact, a lot of people in Colorado don't even know that he was on the Avs. It fails both parts of that test.
The Adam Graves retirement is widely considered pretty questionable. If his best season didn't come during the Rangers Stanley Cup year, there's no way his number would be in the rafters of MSG.
Adam Foote's number in the Pepsi Center is a no brainer. Anyone who disputes that hasn't watched the Avs very long, or has a very poor memory of how good he was in his prime. IMO he was Colorado's best defenseman during the 2001 Cup run.
I don't see how one could find issue with Milan Hejduk getting his jersey retired. Maybe not the best player in the world, but longevity combined with individual (Rocket '03) and team success.
The Adam Graves retirement is widely considered pretty questionable. If his best season didn't come during the Rangers Stanley Cup year, there's no way his number would be in the rafters of MSG.
Adam Foote's number in the Pepsi Center is a no brainer. Anyone who disputes that hasn't watched the Avs very long, or has a very poor memory of how good he was in his prime. IMO he was Colorado's best defenseman during the 2001 Cup run.
I don't see how one could find issue with Milan Hejduk getting his jersey retired. Maybe not the best player in the world, but longevity combined with individual (Rocket '03) and team success.
Maybe not the best in the world, but he has the 3rd most NHL points by any Czech born player (behind Jagr and Elias). And 12 consecutive seasons with 20+ goals, all in an Avs jersey. Yeah, his number will get retired, as will Foote's.
where did i say Bourque should have been retired? it was a terrible choice, and will always be a black mark IMO.
dont care if he has more points or games than Foppa, he never meant much to the team in general. just a good sniper on the wing. way down the list of threats on the cup team for example.
he'll probably be the worst captain in our franchise history.
Yeah, honoring one of the best defenders all time, will be forever a black mark.
Maybe not the best in the world, but he has the 3rd most NHL points by any Czech born player (behind Jagr and Elias). And 12 consecutive seasons with 20+ goals, all in an Avs jersey. Yeah, his number will get retired, as will Foote's.
"I'd probably help coach kids, be involved with (his sons). Maybe I'd get involved with (the Avalanche) in some other way. Who knows?" Hejduk said. "One thing is for sure: We will stay in Denver. This is our home."
He's an Av for life and his jersey will be retired.
I've definitely been critical of him because of his poor play in the last couple of months but a part of me still wants him to come back for one more season. Maybe he can have a Selanne/Alfredsson like "comeback". He's only 36 right now and probably won't make more than 1.5-2M if they do bring him back.
I post a lot out of frustration in the GDTs and have probably said I hope he retires but I don't want him to go out like this. Then again, it could end up being even worse next season if he truly is finished.
I'm so glad he was captain for at least 1 year so when i'm collecting jerseys I can get his jersey with a C on it. 
Foote&Hejduk's numbers will look good in the rafters for sure I don't even see a debate :sly: long way from retiring another number after that.
