Few NHL players have been blessed with the combination of power, strength, physical prowess and finesse that enabled Peter Forsberg to dominate games during a star-studded 14-season career, a dozen of them with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanchefranchise.

“He obviously had a very high level of skill, but I think it’s the physical part of the game that he brought to the ice that made him different than your typical skill players,” former Avalanche teammate Claude Lemieux said Saturday. “Aside from being a spectacular player, that’s what separated him from so many great players. He was great and he also was tough and physical and a pain to play against.”

A native of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, Forsberg played a huge role in the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup championship teams of 1996 and 2001, and he remains a beloved figure in Denver.

Photo credit: Getty Images (Click for gallery)

On Saturday night, the Avalanche retired the former star center’s No. 21 jersey at the sold-out Pepsi Center before its season opener against Detroit. The Red Wings were a fitting opponent considering Forsberg’s involvement during the teams’ once bitter and often bloody rivalry.

Forsberg, now 38, was joined by his parents Kent and Gutrun, his brother Roger and fiancée Nicole as they watched his sweater hoisted to the rafters, joining those of Ray Bourque (No. 77), Patrick Roy (No. 33) and Joe Sakic (No. 19).

Forsberg entered the arena to a thunderous ovation. He shook hands with fans as he made his way down stairs in the lower bowl, and he waved to the crowd while walking on a red carpet along the ice.

“I am overwhelmed, I am proud and I will never forget this high honor,” Forsberg said at center ice after being introduced by team president Pierre Lacroix.

His speech was interrupted several times by applauding fans who stood and chanted “Pe-ter … Pe-ter.”

Forsberg, who said in a news conference that he and Nicole have not yet set a wedding date, earlier told the arena crowd that he would keep his Denver apartment and that if the couple has a boy, “he will wear” the Avalanche’s blue and burgundy colors.

That remark drew a rousing ovation from the crowd, as did this statement: “Another highlight (of his career) was always beating the Red Wings.”

All current Avalanche players wore No. 21 jerseys while sitting on the bench during the ceremony and in the pregame warmup. The jerseys will be signed by each player and by Forsberg, and are available at auctions.nhl.com through Oct. 21 with proceeds benefitting Kroenke Sports Charities.

Highlights of Forsberg’s career were shown on five video boards, and his digits were displayed on the boards surrounding the rink and on the ice behind both nets.

“I was standing up there watching the highlights, felt emotional,” he said later. “I was walking to the ice, it was great. It feels great to have it done with. Today was unbelievable. I will forever remember this.”

Forsberg said he still doesn’t understand why he became so popular in Colorado, despite his extraordinary accomplishments on the ice.

“When I look at my highlights, when I watch how I played, I was involved,” he said. “I was running people, I was wrestling. I was opening up spots for everybody else on the ice. Maybe that’s what the fans saw too. It was not like I was going out there and coming off the ice and not sweating. I didn’t enjoy losing. That’s what I’m hoping people remember.”

Forsberg collected 217 goals and 755 points in 591 games with Quebec and Colorado, making him the fourth-highest scorer in franchise history. He also played briefly with Philadelphia and Nashville, and finished with 249 goals and 885 points in 708 career games. He ranks second in Nordiques/Avalanche franchise playoff history with 159 points (58 goals, 101 assists) in 140 games.

Forsberg has a trophy case full of hardware that includes the 1995 Calder Trophy with Quebec, along with the Art Ross Trophy and Hart Trophy he won in 2003 with Colorado. He was selected to seven NHL All-Star Games, three times earned NHL First All-Star team honors, and he won two Olympic gold medals and as many World Championships with Sweden.

Injuries took a serious toll on Forsberg, who needed surgery to remove his spleen following a hotly-contested seven-game, second-round playoff series with Los Angeles in 2001. A chronic right foot ailment caused him problems throughout much of his career and forced him to end an attempted comeback after two games last February following a two-year layoff from NHL games.

“(Forsberg’s physical style) definitely took a toll on his career,” Lemieux said. “He might have played more games if he didn’t play that way, but that’s how he wanted to play. You can’t take that fire out of a player.

PETER FORSBERG

CENTER – QUE, COL, PHI, NSH

Goals: 249 | Assists: 636 | Pts: 885
Shots: 1693 | +/-: +238

“Peter was a very emotional player. He was a guy who brought the team up with a big hit or mixing it up with somebody in Detroit or whatever. That was Peter. I remember when I got here, my wife used to blame me for Peter’s play. She thought that was rubbing off in a negative way on him. I said, ‘No, I’ve seen this kid play before. He likes it this way.’ And I’d say to him, ‘You don’t have to be that physical. Let me do that stuff.’ He said, ‘No, I have to be involved in the game.’ ”

Forsberg is taking that competitive fire in another direction, managing his former Modo team in Sweden with good friend and former NHL star Markus Naslund. He has several business ventures and is attending economic classes with Nicole.

“I really enjoy my life,” he said. “It’s been tough the last couple of years, but right now it’s great. I can’t say anything negative about my life. I go back to Sweden and even though it’s cold and dark, I still enjoy being back there.”

Milan Hejduk, the lone active Avalanche player remaining from the 2001 Cup team, said it was a privilege to play with Forsberg.

“I would have gone and bought a ticket to watch him,” Hejduk said. “You never knew what he was going to do. He was something special. He had a signature move where he skated behind the net with the puck, hit the ‘D’ and kept the puck, stuff like that. I was fortunate enough to play with him for a number of years. It was really fun to play with him. I would always try to find an open space and he would put the puck through 15 skates and sticks, and it would always land on your stick.”

Avalanche rookie Gabriel Landeskog, 18, is from Stockholm and idolized Forsberg while growing up. He spoke with Forsberg on the phone the day after being selected second overall in the NHL entry draft last June and was eager to meet him for the first time Saturday.

“He’s just a very nice guy, very humble, very down to earth as well,” Landeskog said. “He meant a lot for the game back home. To me, personally, just the way he could dominate the game physically but also with his skill. His will to win was tremendous.”

Per Detroit Free Press:

The Colorado Avalanche will retire Peter Forsberg’s number before its season opener Oct. 8 against the Detroit Red Wings.
Forsberg’s number (21) will join those of Patrick Roy (33), Joe Sakic (19) and Ray Bourque (77) in the rafters at Pepsi Center.

The former NHL MVP attempted a comeback with the Avalanche during the winter but pulled the plug on his career after a two-game audition because of a chronic foot ailment.

Forsberg was one of the best two-way players in the NHL during his prime, helping the Avalanche to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001. A foot injury that has hampered him since 2003 robbed him of chunks of his career.

Per NHL.com:

Anyone expecting Peter Forsberg to still be contemplating a new comeback can let leave those thoughts to rest now. The three-time NHL all-star, two-time Stanley Cup champion and Triple Gold club member, who attempted a brief two-game comeback with Colorado this past season, has found a new gig.

Forsberg has joined the front office of MODO of the Swedish Elite League, which has produced several current and former NHL players such as Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Victor Hedman and Forsberg himself. Officially, he will have the title of assistant general manager and will have several responsibilities, including scouting and input with marketing. MODO plays in Forsberg’s hometown of Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.

“When I thought about my future, it was obvious that I somehow want to help MODO,” Forsberg said, according wire reports. “This role seems perfect. It will be fun to work with Mark and the rest of the team building the future MODO.”

Before debuting with the Quebec Nordiques in 1994, Forsberg spent part of six seasons playing for MODO. He returned to the team during the NHL’s work stoppage in 2004-05 and played 26 games over two seasons with the club from 2008-2010. In 708 games with the Quebec/Colorado franchise, Philadelphia and Nashville Forsberg tallied 249 goals and 636 assists while compiling an impressive plus-238.

Forsberg spent much of his career as one of the premier offensive players in the world before several injuries slowed him down in his final seasons. His accolades include the 1995 Calder Trophy as the League’s top rookie, the 2003 Art Ross Trophy as the NHL scoring leader with 106 points and the 2003 Hart Trophy as the League’s MVP. In just his first full season in 1995-96, Forsberg tallied 116 points.

He was a pivotal piece of Colorado’s Stanley Cup championships in 1996 and 2001.

Forsberg will be joining another former NHLer in the front office, as the team’s GM is currently Markus Naslund, who had a distinguished 15 year career primarily with Vancouver, but which also included stints with Pittsburgh and the New York Rangers.

“It’s great that Peter would use his experience and his contacts to help MODO Hockey,” Naslund said on MODO’s website. “We have a tough season behind us and the challenges ahead are great. It feels really good for me to have Peter on my team as we invest ahead.”

This past season, MODO finished in last place in the Elitserien. MODO last won the Swedish Elite League title in 2007.

Per NHL.com:

Just two games into his latest comeback with the Colorado Avalanche, Peter Forsberg has announced his retirement from the NHL at a press conference Monday afternoon.

“The time has finally come that I’m going to retire from the game of ice hockey,” Forsberg said. “I won’t be able to second guess myself. I really tried and I tried and I tried. I’m really sure about my decision this time.

“After this past weekend I came to the sad conclusion that I was going to have to retire. It was not an easy decision. Believe me, the process I went through was even tougher. Throughout my career I had 25 surgeries and I promised my fiancée Nicole that I would not put my health at risk anymore.”

Forsberg, 37, was a minus-2 with one shot in 17:38 of ice time Friday against Columbus, and was a minus-2 with two shots and four penalty minutes in 17:32 of ice time Saturday against Nashville.

The two games he played were his first in the NHL since the end of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In both contests, he skated as a left wing alongside Matt Duchene and Milan Hejduk.

Forsberg’s short departure came as a surprise to teammates.

“I thought he looked great,” said Avs captain Adam Foote. “I thought he had the highest compete level on the ice in Columbus, for both teams.”

Foote, who was a teammate with Forsberg when the Avs won Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001, said he and Forsberg talked on the flight home from Nashville and never got a feeling that Forsberg was considering hanging up his skates for good.

“We talked on the plane a lot on the way home after the back to back, had a long chat,” he said. “That’s why I’m surprised. He didn’t give me an inkling that there was a problem.”

Forsberg leaves the NHL with 885 points in 708 games in a career that spanned 13 seasons, starting in 1994-95 with the Quebec Nordiques. Forsberg moved to Colorado with the team and the next season had a career-best 116 points while playing all 82 games for the only time in his career.

He also played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators. However, his career was limited by injuries, most notably to his right foot and ankle. Since the labor issues that led to the cancellation of the 2004-05 season, he’s played as many as 60 games in a season once.

His last attempt at an NHL comeback was at the end of the 2007-08 season, when he had 14 points in nine regular-season games with the Avs, and another 5 points in seven playoff games.

Forsberg started this latest comeback attempt skating with the Avs on Jan. 22, and he signed a contract for the rest of the season on Feb. 6.

The hope was Forsberg’s presence and skill could help right the fortunes of a young team that enters tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames losers of seven straight and 14th in the Western Conference, nine points out of a playoff spot.

“Not only did he owe it to himself to find out if he could play, it was a situation where how could we say no to that,” said Avs coach Joe Sacco. “We had nothing to lose. It was an opportunity to get one of the most well-known players in this organization, a future Hall of Famer, and give him a chance to get back to his game. For me, it was a no-brainer. I don’t have any regrets, and I don’t think Peter has any, either.”

Sacco said he was as surprised as everyone else to hear the news today.

“I thought the two games went well for him,” he said. “I know the second night probably didn’t go as well as the first game, but back-to-back games, that’s a tough situation for him.

“I couldn’t (see if he was in pain). He played hard every time he stepped on the ice. Every shift he gave it his all.”

Matt Duchene, who played his on a line with Forsberg, said he’ll take the two games and four weeks of practice as a learning experience for his burgeoning career.

“For me, I modeled almost my entire game after him growing up,” he said. “It was cool playing alongside him, picking up things he did. It was just a privilege getting to play with him.”

Per NHL.com:

Peter Forsberg will skate in his first regular-season NHL game in nearly three years Friday when the Colorado Avalanche visit the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Forsberg signed with Avs on Feb. 6 in another attempt to continue a career that has been derailed by injuries to his right foot and ankle. The delay in getting him on the ice had been due to Forsberg receiving a work visa to play in the U.S.

During the team’s morning practice, Forsberg skated at left wing on a line with Matt Duchene and Milan Hejduk.

“It will be an emotional spark for us,” Avalanche coach Joe Sacco told the Columbus Post-Dispatch regarding Forsberg’s return.

The Avs need all the spark they can get. They’ve lost five straight and have fallen to 14th in the Western Conference, seven points behind eighth-place Calgary.

Forsberg last played in the NHL during the 2007-08 season, when he had 14 points in nine regular-season games with the Avalanche, and 5 points in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Forsberg had his greatest success with the Avalanche, winning the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2003 and the Stanley Cup in 1996 and 2001.

However, injuries always seem to be an issue with Forsberg. He’s played as many as 70 games four times in 12 seasons, and since labor issues caused the cancellation of the 2004-05 season, he’s played as many as 60 games just once.

Now 37, what does Forsberg still have to offer?

“I don’t know where he’s going to be after that long break,” said teammate Adam Foote, “but even if he’s not going to be at that ultimate level, a Forsberg at any level is good for your hockey team. Especially a young team like ours, that is struggling and been through a lot of injuries. We’re going through a lull, and what better way to get out of it than add a Peter Forsberg?

“He’ll help us on the ice. He’ll help us in the dressing room. We need to fight and there is no one more competitive in this game. Why else would he still be here trying? If he still wants it … what’s anyone else’s excuse?”

Per Denver Post:

Peter Forsberg’s answer is yes.

Forsberg, the longtime Avalanche star, has decided to play for the Avs. He signed a contract worth $1 million, prorated through the season, and traveled with the team to Phoenix, the Avs confirmed.

Forsberg took part in today’s practice with the team, then announced he will play with the team. He is not expected to play tomorrow in Phoenix, however.

Forsberg, 37, said he had his mind made up before the 9 a.m. practice began.

“I’m nervous to see how it goes,” Forsberg said before taking the ice. “But I’ve been feeling much better in practice. I’m going to go see Greg (Sherman, Avalanche general manager) and see if I can get a contract.”

That answer was yes, the team

confirmed.Forsberg said he didn’t know how long it would be until he plays his first game, other than to say he didn’t believe he would be ready against the Coyotes.

Forsberg last played in the NHL in 2008, for the Avalanche. He signed a pro-rated one-year, $5 million deal with Colorado and played nine regular-season games, with one goal and 13 assists.

He played well in the Avs’ first-round playoff upset of Minnesota before suffering a groin injury prior to Game 1 of a second-round series against Detroit. He played in Game 3, re-aggravated the injury and missed the next two-plus seasons.

“I don’t know how good I’m going to be. I don’t know how it’s going to go, I’m going to say that right now,” Forsberg said. “But I like to play and I want to play. I’ve been feeling pretty good, and I want to see if I’m good enough.”

Avalanche coach Joe Sacco said it was too soon to say on which line or what position Forsberg might play. He said he’d been encouraged by how Forsberg has looked with each practice, and didn’t seem surprised at his decision.

“The first couple of practices were tough. It seemed like guys were flying around me. It seemed like I was 47, not 37,” Forsberg said. “It might be that case when I get out there playing too, but I’ve been feeling better and better.”

Forsberg said his stress level has been bad the last couple of days.

“It’s been horrible, actually, going back and forth and not knowing. It’s going to be a little nerve-wracking before the first game. We’ll see how it goes.”

Per NHL.com:

Peter Forsberg skated early Saturday morning at the Pepsi Center before the Colorado Avalanche‘s 3-0 loss to the Anaheim Ducks, and it is possible an announcement regarding his comeback attempt will be made Sunday when he practices with the team.

The Avalanche are scheduled to leave at noon MST for Phoenix to begin a week-long, four-game road trip that includes stops in Minnesota, Columbus and Phoenix.

Avalanche Vice President Jean Martineau said Saturday that Forsberg, 37, would not be able to board the team charter unless he is signed to a contract, which would allow him to continue practicing with the team on the road in preparation for an eventual return to the playing roster.

Forsberg skated for about an hour with assistant coaches Steve Konowalchuk and Sylvain Lefebvre, one day after sounding upbeat about his progress following a team practice and saying he was “very near” to making a decision on his status.

Forsberg wasn’t available for interviews Saturday because it was a game day, but Avalanche coach Joe Sacco was impressed after watching him skate.

“I see improvement every day,” Sacco said. “I think he looks better and better each time he steps on the ice. I think his conditioning is getting better.
Now it’s up to Peter. It depends on how his (troublesome right) foot feels and where he’s at.”

The Avalanche have lost three games in a row and five of their past six, but Sacco said Forsberg’s presence and the media attention he has been receiving hasn’t been a distraction.

“Not at all, not at all,” Sacco said.

Per NHL.com:

His heart still remains in the game, but will Peter Forsberg‘s oft-injured foot hold up for him to resume his NHL career?

He’s 37 years old and hasn’t played in an NHL game since the first round of the 2008 playoffs with the Colorado Avalanche, but Forsberg is getting what likely will be one final chance to determine if he’s able to perform at a satisfactory level with his former team.

It seemed like old times Saturday morning at the Pepsi Center, where Forsberg skated, stickhandled and shot pucks into an empty net for about 45 minutes with Avalanche center Ryan O’Reilly, who is sidelined with a shoulder injury, and assistant coach Steve Konowalchuk.

“I’m just going to skate and see where I’m at,” Forsberg said during a well-attended news conference after the workout. “I’m looking forward to seeing if I can play in this League anymore, if I’m good enough and if everything holds up.

“I’m not getting younger, so I don’t think there will be too many more chances to do this again. I think this might be the last time.”

No promises have been made by either side, but Forsberg, a former Hart Trophy winner and NHL scoring champion, is hopeful of performing well enough in practices this week to earn a contract to play with the Avalanche for the remainder of the season.

“We haven’t talked contract or anything like that,” he said.

Forsberg, whose otherwise brilliant career has been marred by injuries, felt well enough in recent days while skating in his native Sweden with a junior team to see if he could do the same with NHL-caliber players.

He asked his agent, Don Baizley, on Tuesday to contact the Avalanche, and they gave him the OK to fly to Denver and practice with the team. Forsberg arrived Friday night in Denver and said he was “a little tired” skating Saturday because of jet lag.

“And they threw me out there with a 20-year-old,” he said of O’Reilly, who turns 20 on Feb. 7. “Other than that I felt OK. We’ll see how it goes. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to really get into game shape, but it’s going to be exciting to skate with the team.”

Agreeing to Forsberg’s wishes was an easy decision, Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman said.

“Certainly you look at the history we’ve had with this particular player,” Sherman said. “Anytime you have an opportunity that an elite player in this game wants to come and practice, to see where he’s at physically, given the history he’s had with this franchise, it makes all the sense in the world to bring him in.”

Bringing Forsberg back, if he can still play, also would have great appeal from a marketing standpoint, as he remains a beloved figure in Denver.

“That part is for [the media] to decide,” Sherman said.

“I think when you look at the connection that certainly Peter has not only with this franchise but with this city … he said he loves this city, loves this state. He’s had positive memories from being here. In terms of the hockey, for us it’s a situation he wants to see where he’s at physically. We can provide that opportunity for him.”

Forsberg would prefer to play with the Avalanche “because of the history and everything,” he said. “This is where I spent most of my time.”

He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 1994-95 with the Quebec Nordiques, who moved to Denver before the following season. He spent nine seasons with the Avalanche and helped the team win Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001.

“I’m just going to skate and see where I’m at. I’m looking forward to seeing if I can play in this league anymore, if I’m good enough and if everything holds up.” – Peter Forsberg

Forsberg signed with Philadelphia before the start of the 2005-06 season and spent parts of two campaigns with the Flyers. He was traded to Nashville late in the 2006-07 season, sat out most of 2007-08 and signed in February 2008 with the Avalanche, with whom he played nine regular-season games and seven playoff games.

Forsberg’s 755 points (217 goals, 538 assists) in 589 games place him fourth in Quebec/Colorado franchise history. Overall, he has 249 goals and 636 assists in 706 NHL games.

The question for Forsberg and the Avalanche is can he fare well enough in practices to earn a contract?

“The foot is definitely better, but I don’t know how good it is,” Forsberg said. “I’m not young anymore. I want to see where I’m at. I’m really fortunate to come over here and to get to try and practice with this team and see where I’m at and see if I can keep on playing.

“There’s not really a time frame. I want to be sure this time that I am good enough if I’m going to decide to play, but I don’t know how long it’s going to take.”

Forsberg said he was “nervous” during Saturday’s workout, which attracted considerably more media members than most Avalanche practices and games.

“[There were] a lot of cameras and I didn’t want to fall down,” he said. “Of course I have such great memories of this city. Coming back [Friday] night, it was kind of short notice. I booked my flight Thursday afternoon and I flew in Friday in the morning. Coming here, I have to say I love the city and I love the people here, so it’s great to come back. I hope I can play and do good for this team.”

The Avalanche, who played Boston on Saturday afternoon, are home all next week, so there will be plenty of time for Forsberg to practice in front of coach Joe Sacco. The Avalanche have home games Monday against St. Louis and Phoenix on Wednesday, and off days until a road game Feb. 1 against the Blues.

“When Joe and I had our discussions, nothing is going to change in terms of Joe’s plans for the upcoming week,” Sherman said. “Joe and the coaching staff will work together to keep their schedule intact for the upcoming days. They’ll work their practices as they see fit.

“The real purpose of this is to see where [Forsberg] is at physically. I think Peter is an elite athlete. In his heart and his brain, I don’t believe he would take this opportunity or want this opportunity if he didn’t believe in his heart that he could do it. That remains to be seen.”

Forsberg played in 23 games with Modo in the Swedish Elite League last season and did well, collecting 11 goals, 19 assists and 66 penalty minutes.

“It’s not like I’ve been dead,” Forsberg said. “I had the most points per game even if [the foot] didn’t feel good. I felt like, if I felt good what would it be then? I love playing hockey. People ask, you’ve got nothing else to do? I do have other things to do, but I love playing hockey and I feel there’s a little unfinished business.”

Forsberg acknowledged he has considered retiring “plenty of times,” but the game kept pulling him back.

“People say you’re crazy, call it quits, but I guess I love hockey and I love playing,” he said. “I think I’ve gotten to the point that I don’t know that I would be where I was, say, maybe 10 years ago, but definitely I’m hoping I’m going to be better than I was the last seven years when I couldn’t  move. I was scared going down on a shootout that I was going to fall. I need to skate with a real team, and these guys are great skaters and young guys and I’m going to have my hands full.

“I would regret badly if I fought this injury for seven years and I didn’t do everything in the end to see if it worked.”