Why is Pavel Francouz retiring? All we know about Avalanche goalie's surgery and injury history

Pavel Francouz, the goaltender for the Colorado Avalanche, announced he's hanging up his skates at 33, mainly because of nagging injuries.

Francouz, who has been dealing with lower-body issues for much of his career, revealed to Czech media that he had informed the Avalanche prior to the preseason about his intention to retire.

The Plzen native expressed his weariness of relying on injections and pills to manage his injuries, which had become a necessity for him to continue playing, particularly during the 2022-23 campaign.

His decision to step away from the game stems from a history of injuries dating back to his teenage years when he underwent surgeries on both knees due to a congenital knee disease.

Throughout his career, Pavel Francouz distinguished himself as a talented goaltender in Europe and North America. With Czech Extraliga club HC Litvínov, he earned recognition as the league's top goaltender twice and led his team to a championship victory in 2014-15. He kept killing it in the KHL with Traktor Chelyabinsk, snagging the Goaltender of the Year title for the 2017-18 season.

When Pavel Francouz made the leap to the NHL, he showed what he could do with the Colorado Avalanche. Especially in the 2019-20 season, when he stepped up big time with starter Philipp Grubauer out injured. Despite facing setbacks, including his injury that required hip surgery and sidelined him for the entire 2020-21 season.

After hanging up his skates, Pavel Francouz mentioned he's keen on staying in the game by helping the Avalanche scout for new goalie talent. In 73 NHL games, he held strong with a 2.49 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and four shutouts.

His contributions were particularly notable during the 2022 playoffs when he played a crucial role in guiding the Avalanche to victory in the Stanley Cup, filling in for the injured Darcy Kuemper.

Meanwhile, Pavel Francouz's Avalanche secured a 5-1 win over the Oilers

The Colorado Avalanche dominated with a 5-1 win against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. Valeri Nichushkin found the back of the net twice, and Nathan MacKinnon's two assists helped him break the franchise's single-season points record.

MacKinnon ended the regular season with 140 points, just shy of Nikita Kucherov's league-leading 144.

Despite missing out on the Art Ross Trophy, MacKinnon remains a contender for the Hart Trophy alongside Kucherov, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid. The Avalanche dominated early, building a 4-0 lead by the first intermission, while the Oilers rested key players like McDavid.

Colorado's Justus Annunen made 25 saves, securing the league-best 31st home win. Edmonton's Corey Perry noted their slow start, attributing it to Colorado's playoff intensity.

MacKinnon joined Kucherov in the 140-point club this season, a feat not seen since Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux in 1995-96.

Despite concerns over an injury to Jonathan Drouin, the Avalanche maintained their momentum, cheered on by the Denver Pioneers, recent NCAA champions.