Milan Hejduk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Milan Hejduk
Hejduk with the Colorado Avalanche in 2008
Born	(1976-02-14) February 14, 1976 (age 49) Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	HC Pardubice Colorado Avalanche
National team	Czech Republic
NHL Draft	87th overall, 1994 Quebec Nordiques
Playing career	1993–2013

Milan Hejduk (born February 14, 1976) is a former professional ice hockey player from the Czech Republic. He also became an American citizen. People often called him "the Duke". He played his entire 14-year career in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Colorado Avalanche. He played 1,020 games for the Avalanche, which is more than any other player in the team's history. In 2003, he won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for scoring the most goals in the NHL. Milan Hejduk is also a member of the Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, which honors great Czech hockey players.

Playing Career Highlights

Milan Hejduk is 6 feet tall and weighed 190 pounds when he played. The Quebec Nordiques picked him in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 87th player chosen overall. Before joining the NHL, he played for HC Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga, which is the top league in the Czech Republic. He was even named Czech Rookie of the Year for scoring 11 goals in 32 games.

Hejduk stayed with Pardubice until 1998. He scored many goals each season before moving to the NHL. In the 2002–03 NHL season, he won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. He scored an amazing 50 goals for the Avalanche that season! He won the Stanley Cup, which is the biggest prize in hockey, with the Avalanche in the 2000–01 NHL season.

During a time when NHL games were paused in 2004–05, Hejduk went back to play for HC Pardubice. He scored 25 goals there and helped his team win the Czech Extraliga title.

In the 2008–09 NHL season, Milan Hejduk scored his 300th NHL goal. This happened on January 18, 2009, against the Calgary Flames. He played in all 82 games that year for the Avalanche. He was one of the team's top scorers with 59 points and led the team with 27 goals.

Before the 2009–10 NHL season, Hejduk signed a new contract with Colorado. He and team captain Adam Foote helped lead the younger players on the team. Milan had knee and back injuries that season. He decided to have knee surgery and not play in the 2010 Winter Olympics for the Czech Republic. He came back strong, scoring two goals in his first game after surgery. He helped Colorado reach the Stanley Cup playoffs that year.

On November 14, 2011, Milan Hejduk became the third captain in Avalanche history. This was after Adam Foote retired. He played 81 games that season, scoring 14 goals and 37 points. This ended his streak of 12 seasons in a row with 20 or more goals. He signed another contract for the 2012–13 NHL season. In September 2012, he decided to give up his captain role. He felt happy to pass it on to a younger player who would be a leader for a long time.

In the shortened 2012–13 season, Hejduk played his 1,000th NHL game on February 4, 2013. He became the first Avalanche player to reach 1,000 games with the team. He was also the 30th player in NHL history to play 1,000 games for one team. On his 37th birthday, he scored a goal and reached 800 points in the NHL. Only two other Czech-born players had reached this many points before him.

Milan Hejduk was not offered a new contract after his last one ended. He finished his time with the team as second in games played (1,020). He was also fourth in goals (375) and points (805). He was the last player from the Avalanche's 2001 Stanley Cup-winning team to retire.

On September 13, 2017, the Avalanche announced they would retire Hejduk's number 23 jersey. This means no other player on the team will ever wear that number again. His jersey was officially retired on January 6, 2018.

NHL All-Star Games

Milan Hejduk was chosen to play in three NHL All-Star Games.

• In the 2000 National Hockey League All-Star Game, he played for the World team. They won the game 9–4.
• For the 2001 National Hockey League All-Star Game, he was chosen to start the game. He was one of six Avalanche players picked as starters that year.
• In the 2009 National Hockey League All-Star Game, he was the only Avalanche player selected. He scored one goal and had two assists in that game.

Personal Life

Milan Hejduk is married to Zlatuse. They have twin sons named Marek and David, who were born on January 3, 2004. In 2016, Milan Hejduk became an American citizen. His son Marek started playing ice hockey for Harvard University in 2022. David plans to join the Harvard team the following year. On July 3, 2024, Marek Hejduk joined the Avalanche's first development camp.

Awards and Honours

Images for kids

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  Hejduk with the Avalanche in 2008