[rumor] Hejduk facing career threatening injury

original source of story

Russian source

It is being reported that Milan Hejduk is contemplating retirement due to a knee injury.

I only read the Russian report, which quotes the Czech source above. The Czech source is the website of Hejduk's original Czech team, Prabudice. I've found no other source on this. Since the Czech report is short I've pasted it below, in case anybody on the forum speaks Czech. Not that I don't trust the Russians (well, ok ...) but it's always better to know what exactly the source of news says.


PARDUBICE — Mistrovská sezona 2004/2005 byla pravdpodobn poslední, kdy mohli fanoušci pardubického hokeje vidt na eském extraligovém led kanonýra Milana Hejduka. Ne, že by nechtl, labskoústeckého rodáka však limitují problémy s kolenem, které jej trápí dlouhodob. Milan Hejduk se nyní pYipravuje na svou desátou sezonu v dresu Lavin z Denveru, která može být jeho pYedposlední v profesionální kariéYe. „Tyto obtíže mám už delší dobu, nelepší se to. asem se to spíše bude zhoršovat, protože se s tím nedá nic moc dlat,“ tvrdí hbitý stYelec, jenž v pardubickém extraligovém dresu vstYelil 128 branek.

From what I understand when I read about it at Kukla's, the report said that he was considering retirement after his current contract expires, which is after the next two years.

A pity, but if his body's breaking down like that, he's gotta do what he thinks is right in the long run.

I'm some happy I traded him recently for a 1st & 2nd a couple years down the road. Talented enigma. He's got Alexei Kovalev disease in addition to bad body parts.

"Kovalev Disease" - that's when you've got special talents, but lack the inspiration to go with them. This keeps you from achieving the true greatness that's inside yourself and results in your omission from the Hall of Fame.

I wouldn't call him an enigma like Kovalev - he has just suffered with worse linemates in Colorado.

angus wrote:
I wouldn't call him an enigma like Kovalev - he has just suffered with worse linemates in Colorado.

Are you referrring to last year only or over the course of his career? Because if you're talking about career then i'd have to really disagree.

sentium wrote:
From what I understand when I read about it at Kukla's, the report said that he was considering retirement after his current contract expires, which is after the next two years.

A pity, but if his body's breaking down like that, he's gotta do what he thinks is right in the long run.

Thanks, Sentium. I looked up the translation at Kukla's, which only seems to give the gist of the paragraph i posted here, not the rest of the interview. I'd still love it if someone here spoke Czech and could go over the interview and see exactly what he says. Here's the translation at Kukla's.

Kukla's Korner link

“Sorrowful news: Milan Hejduk says he’s probably retiring (from hockey altogether, not just the NHL) when his Avalanche contract is up in two years. His knee appears to be deteriorating.”

That does mean his production will deteriorate over the next couple of years even if he does still play. Good news for Chris Stewart owners, I guess.

Working on getting it translated verbatim... I will post as soon as I get it.

Thanks Flyers.

Here's another source (kudos to Spector for the link) that confirms the planned retirement is only in two years and adds some other info on this.

link

I'm pasting the key things.

In an interview on Pardubice's (his 'home' Czech club) website, Hejduk all but confirmed that he'll be retiring from the NHL after his contract with the Avalanche expires. This means it's two more seasons and out for the Czech sniper.

"He says that his health problems have limited him already for some time and that it won't get much better. Milan has an option to undergo major surgery, but would need to rehab for nearly a year after that and it isn't absolutely sure that his knee will be all right again after that. Right now he is at about 80% of his mobility. The Avs wouldn't let him to play at the World Championships because of his knee problems and he himself didn't feel like playing there exactly because of his knee.

Milan will return to Colorado on August 15th, and on 20th he will hit the ice for the first time. He hasn't been skating at all back home this summer. He still played his beloved tennis this summer, but couldn't do any jumping and his running was hampered.

Milan also says that last season was fairly successful in Colorado, but admits that the Red Wings were the better team. In the end, he says that he doesn't plan to play in the Czech Extraleague after finishing his NHL career like David Vyborny or Martin Rucinsky are doing."

Comment - Hejduk, indeed, doesn't say he will for sure retire after two years, but he comes as close to saying that as one can without actually saying it. It also does not seem like he expects to be able to improve on this year's stats, so his fantasy owner's shouldn't either. And finally, I'd have to guess that this would make him particularly tentative in the playoff (if the Avs make it there), where a more physical game is tolerated. I'd stay clear of him in playoff pools.

Hejduk has had as sweet a ride as any player in the NHL. Stuck his whole NHL career with the likes of Sakic, Forsberg, Tanguay, Drury, Blake, Ozolinsch (50 pt version), Bourque, Statsny, Brunette and a quality supporting cast of 50 point guys. In that time he's played considerably with Sakic and always been in a top two line role. His assist totals are rather shameful for someone having spent so much ice time with so such a good cast and his overall points are rather inconsistent. He has always had the privilege of stepping out on the powerplay and not being the focal point. There was a time when we wondered if he might become the focal point. Not anymore. He's had a good career, but the Hall of Fame isn't tidying up a corner for him and there was reason to wonder if they might be forced to a few years back. He's no chump with 29 goals last year, just disappointing.

1998-99 Colorado Avalanche NHL 82 14 34 48 26 16 6 6 12 4
1999-00 Colorado Avalanche NHL 82 36 36 72 16 17 5 4 9 6
2000-01 Colorado Avalanche NHL 80 41 38 79 36 23 7 16 23 6
2001-02 Colorado Avalanche NHL 62 21 23 44 24 16 3 3 6 4
2002-03 Colorado Avalanche NHL 82 50 48 98 32 7 2 2 4 2
2003-04 Colorado Avalanche NHL 82 35 40 75 20 11 5 2 7 0
2005-06 Colorado Avalanche NHL 74 24 34 58 24 9 2 6 8 2
2006-07 Colorado Avalanche NHL 80 35 35 70 44
2007-08 Colorado Avalanche NHL 77 29 25 54 36 10 3 3 6 4
NHL Totals 701 285 313 598 258 109 33 42 75 28

Forgot this piece of info, which Spector brings quoting the report i linked, but it's not in the report itself. Still, of all the sources so far, Spector is the one i'd trust the most.

"Milan has an option to undergo major surgery, but would need to rehab for nearly a year after that and it isn't absolutely sure that his knee will be all right again after that. Right now he is at about 80% of his mobility. The Avs wouldn't let him to play at the World Championships because of his knee problems and he himself didn't feel like playing there exactly because of his knee"