Peter Forsberg is back.
Forsberg has signed a $1 million prorated contract with the Colorado Avalanche and is traveling with the team, as they are in Phoenix to open their four-game road trip, according to the Denver Post.
The contract is for the rest of the 2010-2011 season, but Forsberg will only receive a portion of the salary because he will only be playing for part of the season.
It was reported on Saturday that Forsberg would be making his decision Sunday because he would not be able to board the flight with the team unless he was under contract. He announced his return to Colorado after practice this morning, but he does not know when his first game will be.
The 37-year-old had been practicing with the Avalanche for several weeks in an attempt to determine if an NHL comeback was an actual possibility. Forsberg has tried to return to the NHL several times since he last played in the league in 2008.
His three-year hiatus was caused by various injuries, namely groin and foot problems that have plagued him throughout his career. Foppa was born with an abnormal arch in both of his feet, which caused him to stretch his ankle tendons. After the 2005-2006 season with the Philadelphia Flyers, USA Today reported that his condition "stretched his ankle tendons to the point he has difficult keeping his feet in the skates, so much so that he went through 36 different pairs of skates this season."
Forsberg has had 10 surgeries on his right foot alone, and for the past few years, has been searching for a brace that will allow him to skate without discomfort.
Out of Forsberg’s 13 NHL seasons, 11 of them were with the Avs, and two of those culminated in Stanley Cup titles. During his 13-year career, he has amassed 249 goals and 636 assists in 706 games. He’s currently ranked tenth in the NHL for career points per game and the fourth in career assists per game, behind legends Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr.
Forsberg is also one of 24 players in hockey’s rare Triple Gold Club, which consists of players who have won a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal and a World Championship gold medal.
Currently, the Avalanche stand at No. 12 in the Western Conference and rank second to last in goals against per game. While Forsberg won’t be a solution to an ailing defense and lackluster goaltending, Colorado is hoping he’ll ignite the offense and propel the team to the playoffs if he can manage to stay healthy.
