Colorado Avalanche name veteran forward Milan Hejduk Captain -NHL News Update
The Colorado team waited for over a month ever since the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season kicked off for the management to name a captain to lead and guide them to a much better season as compared to the last.
Colorado Avalanche coach, Joe Sacco, had been waiting to see who would be the better player to be named, which is why he did not award the designation to a player before the regular season began.
Milan Hejduk was named the team captain on Monday, November 14, 2011, which gives the team some veteran leadership to follow behind on.
"Milan is a player who leads by example both on and off the ice", said Sacco in a statement. "He is a product of this organization and won a Stanley Cup with this franchise. He is well respected among his teammates and we feel he deserves this opportunity
and responsibility".
Surprised at the decision, Hejduk did not know what to say after learning about the news, but it certainly was a happy moment for the 35-year-old who has been with the Colorado Avalanche ever since he was drafted as the 87th overall pick during
round-four of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.
"This is obviously a big honour", Hejduk said. "It's a great thing. I really love it. It was really a surprise for me. It's a really big accomplishment. I've been in the League for a long time and this is really cool".
The Usti, Czech Republic native is playing in his 13th major league season with the team and host been potting big numbers for them ever since playing his first game back in the 1998-1999 regular season.
Up until now, Hejduk has played in 927 NHL games and boasts a record of 769 points (364 goals, 405 assists), which certainly shows his dedication and hard work towards the spot.
Since the Avalanche most consists of younger players now, naming Hejduk captain of the team will provide them with much needed experienced leadership, and since he is the oldest player at the moment, naming him was the best choice.
Teammates Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny were also players who were under consideration for the position.
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