Hejduk vahvassa vedossa 27.09.1998 17:17:18 Tshekkihyökkääjä Milan Hejduk on antanut vahvoja näyttösä Colorado Avalnchen leirillä tehden ensimmäisissä harjoituspeleissä jo yhteensä neljä maalia. Vasta 22-vuotias Hejduk oli Tshekin joukkueessa Naganon olympialaisissa saaden kaulaansa kultamitalin turnauksen päätteeksi. Alunperin hän on Quebec Nordiquesin varaus vuodelta 1994, mutta viimeiset viisi kautta ovat sujuneet Tshekin Extraliigan Pardubicessä.--- liiga.net
Milan Hejduk, Colorado 23-year-old Czech Olympian led all rookies in scoring with 14 goals and 48 points.-- CBS sportsline
Quiet threat Hejduk shows poise of a vet By Rick Sadowski News Staff Writer PITTSBURGH -- While Colorado's Chris Drury and Vancouver's Bill Muckalt have garnered most of the support for the Calder Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL's top rookie, Avalanche right wing Milan Hejduk quietly has put together a fine season. Not that Hejduk, who scored the decisive goal in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, is especially impressed with what he has accomplished. "I want 15," he said after becoming the sixth rookie this year to record 10 goals. "I have had a lot of shots and a lot of chances, so I should be scoring more goals. Probably I shoot bad shots. I don't know. Who knows?" The Avalanche doesn't have any complaints about Hejduk, whose 29 points in 64 games place him fifth among all NHL rookies -- six behind Muckalt and five behind Drury. Coach Bob Hartley is happy with the progress Hejduk, 23, has made in adjusting to a more physical brand of hockey in the NHL than he was used to in his native Czech Republic. Hejduk, drafted 87th overall in 1994, played five seasons for Pardubice in the Czech League. He also represented his country at last year's Olympics and in the World Championships. "He's showing the poise of a veteran," Hartley said. "He's always in position and he's adjusted very well to the hockey being played in North America. Give him credit. He works hard, he pays attention to little details and he wants to improve. "He's real professional about his game. He wants to learn things. He had to fight with language and adjust to another culture when he came in, and he did everything well." Hejduk didn't speak any English when he arrived at training camp in September, but it's obvious in interviews that the weekly lessons he receives are paying off. Adam Deadmarsh, who set up Hejduk's goal in the third period, has been impressed with the rookie since camp. "He's a very skilled player and he does great defensively," Deadmarsh said. "His (defensive assignment) very seldom gets a shot on net. He's been a big asset to our team this year. We were looking for some depth and he and Chris Drury have brought that. I think he's played well all year, actually. He hasn't scored a lot of goals, but he's been very consistent and he's always a threat."--Denver news
Rookie leaders -- Milan Hejduk, the 23-year-old from the Czech Republic, registered four assists to move into a tie for the rookie scoring lead with teammate Chris Drury. Drury, last season's Hobey Baker winner at Boston University, had a goal and assist in Sunday's win. Hejduk, who played on a line Sunday with Joe Sakic and Theo Fleury, and Drury have 40 points, one more than New Jersey's Brendan Morrison. New Jersey played at Florida Sunday night. Drury's goal was his 19th of the season, the most among first-year players. Florida's Mark Parrish had 18 entering Sunday night's game. Hejduk's four assists put him first in the rookie assists race with 28. "It was great for me to play with Theo Fleury and Joe Sakic because they are great players," Hejduk said. "I'm happy I can play with them. I feel like a dream. I can learn a lot from players like Joe, Peter (Forsberg) and Theo. Theo is a great shooter like Joe Sakic, so when I pass it could be an assist because they shoot great. "It (rookie scoring title) is not important for me. I want our team to go so far in the playoffs." Avalanche coach Bob Hartley praised the consistency of his two rookies. "In Milan and Chris Drury we have the top scorers for rookies," Hartley said. "Since Christmas we've been talking about the Rookie of the Year in the NHL on our team. It's pretty impressive what those two youngsters have accomplished all year. They are coming from backgrounds where they are not used to tough, long schedules. They didn't hit any slumps."--Denver news
Live action -- Hejduk might want to buy Avalanche season tickets for his mom and dad. Hejduk's parents, Blanka and Milan, made the trip from Sstnad-Laberm, Czech Republic, and have been at McNichols Sports Arena to watch their son play the past two games. And the Avalanche rookie has responded with a goal and three assists in the two games. "It is the first time my parents have seen me play live," Hejduk said. "They have seen a couple games on Czech TV. They are staying with me and will be here for another week. My father is a hockey coach for a junior team and with the season over he had a chance to come to America to see me play."--Denver news
Victories aren't supposed to be easy, after all May 14, 1999
THE CZECH rookie had been having a pretty lousy time in Detroit. Fifteen seconds into Tuesday's Game 3, he was slammed into the wall by Detroit's Kris Draper and went flipping over, landing in the laps of his teammates. How embarrassing. Then, early Thursday night, he was upended by Draper once more, landing on his back like a kid who falls out of the top bunk. But Milan Hejduk, who not too long ago didn't know English, did know one truism that has been momentarily misplaced by the Red Wings. You keep pushing until it's over. Because you never know. So here was the young Czech, later in the game, moving on a power play, digging after the puck and shoving it through the sadly open legs of Bill Ranford for a 3-0 Colorado lead. And next thing you knew, Ranford, the early hero of this series, was skating off, done for the night, as was his team. And Hejduk, the kid, didn't remember being flipped anymore.---Detroit news
HEJDUK ENDS IT EARLY Friday, September 17, 1999, ES
PITTSBURGH -- Milan Hejduk scored his second goal of the game 20 seconds into overtime to lift the Colorado Avalanche to their first exhibition win, 4-3 over the Pittsburgh Penquins. The Avalanche won the overtime faceoff and Claude Lemieux fed Hejduk, who raced into Pittsburgh's zone and unleashed a slap shot from the right circle that went over Tom Barrasso's glove and into the top right corner of the net. Hejduk also beat Barrasso 4:42 into the second period to give Colorado a 2-0 lead. But Alexei Kovalev scored twice as the Penquins erupted for three goals in a 10:14 span later in the period to go in front. Hejduk and Lemieux assisted on Chris Drury's power-play tally early in the third period that tied it. Marc Denis made 26 saves for the Avalanche, who peppered Barrasso with 29 shots in winning for the first time in four preseason contests. They had been outscored, 10-4, in three losses. --CBS sportsline
HEJDUK'S OT MARKER MOVES AVS TO SECOND ROUND Tuesday, May 04, 1999, ES
SAN JOSE, California -- Rookie Milan Hejduk scored his second overtime goal of the series 13:12 into the extra period to send the Colorado Avalanche into the Western Conference semifinals with a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Hejduk, who also got the overtime winner in Game Two, was stationed at the top of the crease when he whacked a bouncing puck over goaltender Mike Vernon's right pad. Vernon made a right arm save on Joe Sakic's shot from the top of the slot but could not control the rebound. Hejduk, a 23-year-old native of the Czech Republic, ended a wild overtime in which the Sharks hit two goalposts and failed to convert a four-minute power play. The Avalanche won the best-of-seven series in six games and advanced to another playoff matchup with the archrival Detroit Red Wings. San Jose won twice in Colorado to send the series back to the West Coast. The Sharks grabbed a 2-1 lead midway through the third period on Jeff Friesen's goal, but he was in the penalty box 98 seconds later when Sandis Ozolinsh tied it against his former team.--CBS sportsline
