Former Colorado Avalanche forward Milan Hejduk announced his retirement on Monday. "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. "I realized my lifelong dream of not only playing in the NHL but winning a Stanley Cup. My family and I are proud to call Denver home and are enjoying our time together." The 38-year-old native of the Czech Republic spent 14 seasons in the NHL, all with the Avalanche. "Milan was one of the most humble players I ever had the privilege of competing with," said Joe Sakic, the Avalanches Executive Vice-President of Hockey Operations in a statement. "On the ice, he had one of the quickest and smoothest hands of any teammate I ever played with. His release, along with his hockey sense and vision, made him one of the premier goal scorers in the NHL during his prime. Milan was a true winner and would do anything he could to help our team win. He was a quiet leader who led by example and always represented this organization and himself with class." Hejduks career was a decorated one. The three-time All-Star won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001 and two Olympic medals (gold in 1998 and bronze in 2006). In 2002-03, Hejduk won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for finishing the season as the NHLs top goal-scorer with 50. He eclipsed the 30-goal plateau five times and scored at least 20 goals in 11 times. Last season saw Hejduks worst offensive output, scoring only four times in 29 games of the lockout-shortened year, finding himself a healthy scratch at times. The Avalanche did not offer Hejduk a contract following last season, although, Hejduk did express desire to play on. He finishes his career with 375 goals and 470 assists in 1020 games played, the second-most in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history. He holds the franchise record for most overtime goals with nine. 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Paul Quantrill Jersey . - Carter Verhaeghe scored the winner with 41 seconds to go as the Niagara IceDogs edged the North Bay Battalion 3-2 to even their first-round series at a game apiece in Ontario Hockey League playoff action on Sunday.ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Phil Mickelson surged up the leaderboard with a 9-under 63 to put himself in second place after the third round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, while Rory McIlroy was hit with a two-shot penalty for a rules infraction that dropped him into a tie for fourth. Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. "The biggest thing for me is that each day as the tournament has progressed I have felt a lot sharper and sharper." McIlroy thought he was alone in second place a stroke behind Lee after finishing his round, but tournament officials then ruled that he had taken a drop incorrectly on the second hole and adjusted his score to a double-bogey 7. That gave him a 70 for the round to sit one stroke behind Mickelson and Gaganjeet Bhullar of India (66). McIlroy had to take relief on the second hole when his ball ended up on a gallery crosswalk and went on to par the hole, but was later told by the caddy of playing partner Ricardo Gonzalez that he had his left foot on the white line marking the drop area, meaning he had not taken "full relief" according to the rules. Tournament officials reviewed the situation after McIlroy completed his round, with the golfer going back to the spot to show where he stood when he took the shot. "I didnt even know my foot was on the line,"t; McIlroy said.dddddddddddd "We went back to see it again there and see where my divot was, and it was clear that I couldnt have played the shot with my feet anywhere else. I guess I was so much into the shot I didnt even realize. ... Theres a lot of stupid rules and this is one of them." To make matters worse, McIlroy said his drop had actually given him a bad lie and that he would have benefited from dropping again. "If anything, it was a disadvantage," McIlroy said. McIlroy had finished the round without a bogey, making his fourth birdie of the day on the 18th. "To a spectator it may feel like I have been unduly punished, and thats what it feels like to me, but its a rule of the game. I do feel like I have been hard done by but its nothing that a fast start tomorrow cant fix." Mickelson shot his lowest score since a 63 on the opening day of the Deutsche Bank Championship in September, falling one shot short of the Abu Dhabi course record. The American birdied four of his opening six holes, eagled the eighth and then also birdied five of his inward holes, including sinking a 50-foot birdie putt at the par-5 last. That came after he tried to reach the green in two shots but ended up beneath some trees to the left and needed a pitching wedge on his third shot. "(I) gave myself a 45 to 50 footer that you dont really expect to make too often but I had a good kind of feel on that one and it just rolled right I," Mickelson said. "But then I was getting a little tired mentally those last few holes and I could tell it was early in the season so I just wasnt as sharp mentally." ' ' '