Avalanche training camp officially begins Thursday and general manager Joe Sakic on Wednesday repeated his expectation that Matt Duchene will report at the Pepsi Center with the rest of the veterans for medicals and physical testing.
"Yeah, I expect him to be here," Sakic said, short and to the point.
As for unsigned restricted free agent Nikita Zadorov:
"We're continually talking, so that's a good thing," Sakic said. "I'm hoping that he's going to be here shortly."
Sakic said coach Jared Bednar is "excited" about beginning camp following last season's 48-point disaster in his first year behind an NHL bench.
"I know he's excited, he's had a full year to prepare and the players know what to expect," Sakic said. "Just talking to different players, they're excited to get going. We've put last year behind us, it's over. We have a lot of new faces this year, a lot of young kids that we're looking forward to seeing."
The Avalanche will be on the ice at Family Sports Center in Centennial Friday and Saturday with players divided into two groups each day, one from 8:45-10:15 a.m. and the other 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sessions are free and open to the public.
The Burgundy and White Game is Sunday at 10 a.m. at Magness Arena on the University of Denver campus.
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The Avalanche announced Wednesday that they will retire Milan Hejduk's No. 23 jersey in a Pepsi Center ceremony before playing Minnesota on Saturday, Jan. 6.
The Avalanche is selling $23 upper-level tickets for the Jan. 6 game against the Wild. The 23-hour sale began at 9 a.m. MT Wednesday and will end at 8 a.m. Thursday. Visit ColoradoAvalanche.com/tickets for more information.
Hejduk’s jersey will be the sixth to be retired in Avalanche history. The others: Joe Sakic (19), Peter Forsberg (21), Patrick Roy (33), Adam Foote (52) and Ray Bourque (77).
#Avs Milan Hejduk and GM Joe Sakic with Hejduk's No. 23 jersey that will be retired Jan. 6. #Avalanche pic.twitter.com/XQRL91IpP6
— Rick Sadowski (@RickS7) September 13, 2017
Hejduk, 41, played all 14 of his NHL seasons with the Avalanche and was a member of the 2001 Stanley Cup championship team. He finished his career with 805 points (375 goals, 430 assists) in 1,020 games.
“Milan was a tremendous player, a great teammate, a winner and a true professional in every sense,… Sakic said. “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. He was a quiet leader who led by example and always represented this organization and himself with class. His No. 23 certainly belongs in the Pepsi Center rafters.… Hejduk scored 50 goals in 2002-03 to win the Maurice “Rocket… Richard Trophy as the NHL’s leading goal scorer. The Usti-nad Labem, Czech Republic, native was a Calder Trophy finalist and a member of the league's All-Rookie Team in 1998-99. He was named to the second All-Star Team in 2002-03 and competed in three All-Star Games.
“I am truly honored to have my jersey raised to the rafters alongside those great Avalanche players,… said Hejduk, who served as team captain in 2011-12. “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." Selected by the Quebec Nordiques in the fourth round (No. 87) of the 1994 NHL draft, Hejduk ranks fourth in franchise history in goals and points, and is fifth in assists. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in regular season overtime goals with nine and his 59 career game-winning goals rank second.
Hejduk scored 20 or more goals in 11 consecutive seasons from 1999-00 to 2010-11, tying the franchise record. He is tied for third in franchise history for playoff goals (34), is fourth in points (76) and fifth in assists (42) in 112 games.
A three-time Olympian, Hejduk won the gold medal with the Czech Republic in 1998 and a bronze medal in 2006.