Fedorov ending.

[JohanFranzenstein]

Had Wayne Gretzky played 2-3 seasons for the Wings, scored 200 points annually, and won the Art Ross, Hart Trophy, and Conn Smythe as part of bringing one or more Cups to Detroit, he could've played two decades for anybody else and I'd still say he has an argument for jersey retirement.

What are your thoughts on the Avalanche retiring Bourques number?

 

[jkutswings]

What are your thoughts on the Avalanche retiring Bourques number?

It's tough to be unbiased with the heavy rivalry years of the Avs. Part of me says he only played 1.25 seasons and part of me acknowledges that he went into the sunset after a championship (and, checking his stats, put up 19 points across the two years and 34 playoff games he had with Colorado).

Considering the circumstances and that the Avs have a different standard for jersey retirement to begin with, I don't think Bourque is out of place for that franchise.

 

[Reality Check]

Fans would like to see his number retired. But it's never going to happen.

Detroit has strict guidelines. Of which they have followed. But the real answer is the holdout in '97 and leaving town once that contract ended.