Peter Forsberg will rejoin the Colorado Avalanche — for a reunion, not another comeback.
Although, the Swedish star hasn’t completely ruled out a return to the NHL, either.
“It doesn’t look too good, but I haven’t made a 100 percent decision yet,” Forsberg said in a conference call on Tuesday.
For now, his only on-ice plans are a return to Pepsi Center on Oct. 7 for the Avalanche’s celebration to mark the 15th anniversary of their 1996 Stanley Cup championship.
In all, 26 players and coaches will be in attendance for the reunion, including Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, Mike Ricci and Claude Lemieux.
The Avalanche swept the Florida Panthers in the finals that year, giving the state of Colorado its first major pro sports crown in the team’s first season in town after relocating from Quebec.
“When you win something, you have a special bond, good memories,” the 37-year-old Forsberg said. “I’m really excited to come and see everybody. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a few of them.”
Forsberg, who won two Stanley Cups titles with Colorado and was the NHL’s MVP in 2003, has only played sporadically in recent years because of a bothersome right foot.
If he has any qualms with his career, it’s that he couldn’t get that surgically repaired foot quite right and remain playing at the level to which he grew accustomed.
“I was battling that problem for so long,” Forsberg said. “I’m so happy that I got to win a lot of things when I was younger. It would be hard if I didn’t get to win the Cup and I was chasing it.”
“Of course, I’m sour that if [retirement] happens, I didn’t get to quit on my own terms,” he said. “But I can’t go around thinking I had a bad life. It’s been a good hockey life for me anyway.”
A hockey life that’s included a lot of hardware. He also helped the Swedish national team to gold in the Olympics and world championships.
The bruising but skillful forward spent nine seasons with the Avalanche before heading to Philadelphia following the NHL lockout in 2004 to 2005. He wore a Flyers sweater for one-and-a-half seasons before being dealt to Nashville.
He returned to Denver late in 2007 to 2008, but played in just nine games in the regular season because of a groin injury, his last go-round in the league.
Forsberg remains an immensely popular figure in the Mile High City, his No. 21 sweater a big fan favorite.
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