Milan Hejduk
Czech American forward who spent his entire NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche, winning the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard Trophy in 2003 and the Stanley Cup in 2001.
Milan Hejduk (; born February 14, 1976) is a Czech American former professional ice hockey forward. Nicknamed "the Duke", he spent his entire 14-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Colorado Avalanche and retired holding the record for most career games as an Avalanche player with 1,020. In 2003, he won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer. He is a member of Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
- role
- Forward
- jersey_number
- 23 (Retired)
- draft_year
- 1994
- cup_victory
- 2001 Stanley Cup Champion
- nationality
- Czech Republic
- status
- Franchise Legend
- tenure_span
- 1998-2013
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Hejduk was drafted 87th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the fourth round of the 1994 NHL entry draft. He played for HC Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga until 1998 before transferring to the NHL. He won the Stanley Cup in the 2000–01 season with the Avalanche. He scored 50 goals in the 2002–03 season to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. He served as team captain for part of the 2011–12 season. He retired as the last Avalanche player from their 2001 Stanley Cup-winning team. His number 23 jersey was retired by the Avalanche on January 6, 2018.
In Their Own Story
The Pepsi Center erupted on February 14, 2013, as Hejduk celebrated his 37th birthday with a goal and a shootout winner in a 4–3 victory over the Minnesota Wild. That night marked his 800th career NHL point, making him only the third Czech-born player to reach the feat behind Jaromír Jágr and Patrik Eliáš. Just weeks prior, on February 4, he had become the first Avalanche player in history to appear in 1,000 games for a single franchise, scoring in a 3–2 defeat to the Dallas Stars. His final seasons were defined by reduced ice time and healthy scratches under coach Joe Sacco, yet his impact remained. In the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, he played only 29 games, recording a career-low 4 goals and 11 points. Despite these challenges, he held the franchise record for overtime goals (9) and ranked second in games played. When reports surfaced on November 13, 2013, that his career was ending, it was confirmed after the 2014 Olympic break that he had retired as the last remaining player from the 2001 Stanley Cup-winning team.
Reader's Guide
Milan Hejduk spent his entire 14-year NHL career with the Colorado Avalanche. He is not stated in the source to be the only player to ever play his entire NHL career with one franchise.
Did You Know?
- Hejduk scored his 300th career NHL goal on January 18, 2009, against the Calgary Flames.
- He became the first Avalanche player to appear in 1,000 games for the club on February 4, 2013.
- Hejduk was the last player drafted by the Quebec Nordiques still active in the NHL after Tim Thomas opted for a year on hiatus.
- He became an American citizen in 2016.
More in Legendary Players & Coaches
Elsewhere in the Colorado Avalanche universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record