European Avs (1.)
On the occasion of the NHL Global Series, we bring you a series of articles about the Colorado Avalanche, the NHL in Europe and European players.In this miniseries, we take a look at all 59 European players, who have suited up for the Colorado Avalanche at least once, either during the regular season, or during the playoffs. The following stats were taken mainly from AvalancheDB.com and have been updated after the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. The players are ranked in descending order based on the number of points they recorded during their tenure in Denver.
1. Milan Hejduk - 1020 games, 805 points (375 goals, 430 assists)
A Stanley Cup Champion from 2001 and Olympic Gold-winner from 1998. Winner of the Rocket Richards Trophy for the league’s top goal scorer and the award for the league’s best plus-minus. He spent 15 seasons in Colorado, recording at least 40 points in 13 of them. His jersey will be deservedly retired this season and will hang from the rafters of the Pepsi Center. He spent his entire career in Denver, officially retiring in 2013.
2. Peter Forsberg - 544 games, 705 points (202 goals, 503 assists)
The best player of his generation and considered the most valuable player in Avalanche history by many. He won the Stanley Cup with Colorado twice, twice celebrated Olympic Gold with Sweden and twice won the World Championship. He won both the scoring title and was named the league’s MVP. Following the first lockout, he left Denver for Philadelphia and later played for Nashville. He twice returned to Colorado for a couple of games. His entire career was plagued by injuries, which ultimately forced him to retire in 2011. He was the assistant general manager of MoDo, which he co-owns, for five seasons.
3. Gabriel Landeskog - 428 games, 279 points (118 goals, 161 assists)
The current Avalanche captain. Former rookie of the year. World Champion with Sweden, who also owns a silver medal from the Olympics. A power forward, whose skill often goes underappreciated.
4. Valeri Kamensky - 289 games, 261 points (106 goals, 155 assists)
A three-times World Champion, who also once won the Stanley Cup with Colorado and once the Olympics with the former Soviet Union. A skilled sniper and integral part of the early Avs rosters. He continued his career with the Rangers, Stars and the Devils. After two season in the Russian league, he chose to retire in 2005. He briefly held managing positions in the KHL.
5. Sandis Ozolinsh - 333 games, 253 points (72 goals, 181 assists)
He spent six seasons in Denver and recorded at least 50 points for times. He won the Stanley Cup in 1996. The best offensive defenseman during the Avalanche’s early years. A key member of the team’s defense corps. He was traded to Carolina in 2000. He also played for Florida, Anaheim, the New York Rangers and San Jose. He spent the last five seasons of his career in the KHL, retiring in 2014. He had a head coaching gig in the KHL not long ago.
6. Marek Svatos – 316 games, 164 points (96 goals, 68 assists)
A rising star in Colorado between 2005 and 2010. His performances were described with superlatives at the time. He was a pure goal scorer, but his career was derailed by injuries. He briefly played for Ottawa and Nashville. He continued his career in the KHL and in the Slovak league, where he played until his retirement in 2014. He died of an overdose in 2016.
7. Martin Skoula - 383 games, 113 points (27 goals, 86 assists)
The Czech defenseman spent five seasons in Denver and won the Stanley Cup once. He also played for Anaheim, Dallas, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and New Jersey. He spent the latter years of his career in the KHL and the Czech league. He retired in 2015.
8. Alexei Gusarov - 383 games, 113 points (27 goals, 86 assists)
A prime example of Soviet hockey school. A shutdown defenseman, who helped the Avs win their first Cup. He also won several World Championships and the Olympics. Following nine years in Quebec and Colorado, he played a couple of games for the New York Rangers and St. Louis, where he retired in 2001. He’s currently an assistant coach in the KHL.
9. Carl Soderberg - 162 games, 65 points (18 goals, 47 assists)
The Swedish forward made the jump to the NHL in 2013 as a 28-year-old. He spent two seasons in Boston, following which he signed a four-year deal with Colorado. He’s currently performing below expectations and is often a subject of trade rumors. He won the last World Championship.
10. Radim Vrbata - 118 games, 60 points (29 goals, 31 assists)
He was supposed to be the next Hejduk, but was traded to Carolina less than two years after being drafted. He also played for Chicago, Tampa Bay, Phoenix/Arizona and Vancouver. He’s currently a member of the Florida Panthers. He won the World Championship once. He didn’t have enough time to showcase his skill in Denver, later becoming one of the more consistent scorers in the league.
Eurolanche.com, Worldwide, eurolanche@eurolanche.com
04/11/2017 - 18:00
