After an aborted comeback attempt, Avalanche forward Peter Forsberg retired last February. Next up for retirement: His No. 21.
The Colorado organization made the unsurprising announcement Thursday, saying that Forsberg’s number would be retired and that a symbolic jersey would be raised to the Pepsi Center rafters at the Oct. 8 season opener against the Detroit Red Wings.
Forsberg, who turns 38 next month, began practicing with the Avalanche last Jan. 22 then played in two games before deciding he wasn’t physically capable of holding up to the NHL pace and strain, primarily because of his lingering foot and ankle issue and other problems it triggered.
Forsberg was on the Avalanche’s 1996 and 2001 Stanley Cup championship teams, and also played with Philadelhia and Nashville in his 12-season NHL career. He finishes with 885 points in 708 games.
In the hockey section of the rafters, his jersey will join those of Joe Sakic, Ray Bourque and Patrick Roy. Adam Foote’s No. 52 likely will follow at some point in the near future.
