"Peter Forsberg is one of the best hockey players that ever played the game, and I actually don't think that anyone has been so good as Peter was during his peak, I've played against him a lot, so I should know." --

 

Vjatjeslav Fetisov

 

At the HHOF induction, was asked the question on which player he thinks it's the best he ever played against. -- I would probably say that Forsberg is the best player I ever played against"

 

Scott Stevens (2007)

 

"Some of the stuff he does is just ridiculous. Jaromir Jagr is big and strong like Forsberg, but Jagr doesn't fight back if you play him tough like Forsberg does. "I think he's the toughest player in the game to play against."

 

Derian Hatcher

 

"For me, an agitator is somebody who controls the emotion of the game," "And Peter definitely controls the emotion of the game for them." "The only thing that stopped Forsberg is that he ran out of gas when they double- and tripleshifted him, and he wasn't able to use his speed, plus his strength," Hitchcock says. "I remember one time he kept the puck in our end for 40, maybe 50 seconds, and we couldn't get the thing away from him. His ability to knock Derian Hatcher on his butt while giving up 40 pounds shows how he can completely control and dominate a game. He's a player with skill and talent who occasionally goes maniacal. Boy, he gets a really strange look in his eyes. It's like the same steely glare that Mark Messier always gets, and you don't want to be anywhere near him.

 

Ken Hitchcock

 

"He's one of the best players ever"

 

Paul Stastny.

 

"Peter is the best all-around player in the NHL, bar none. He's a competitor. He's the ultimate warrior. His hands are electric. He's one of the smartest players on the ice, and he knows where everybody is. He always makes the right play, and he even makes the plays you don't think he can make. He's so fast on his feet and so powerful. And he's mean. The guy is so talented, he's disgusting to watch."

 

Jeremy Roenick

 

"He's a coach's dream. The more crucial the time in a game or a series, the tougher he gets. I think sometimes he's able to flip on a switch in his mind and be at a different level than everyone else. "

 

Ray Bourque

 

Larry Wigge -- "It was late in the Eastern Conference finals, and I was talking about nastiness and skill with Devils right winger Claude Lemieux. He clearly was enjoying the conversation. As I'm talking to the guy some call the most hated player in the NHL, I ask him, "If you could be anyone else in hockey, who would it be?" That's easy. Peter Forsberg," Lemieux says. "I could still be mean and nasty, but if I had all of the skills that he has, I might have won five or six Stanley Cups by now. "I can only dream of skating like Peter. Either that or buy some rocket-powered skates." "(After seeing) a Michael Jordan or a Wayne Gretzky, you think you've seen it all," Lemieux says, "and then Peter shows you something entirely new. "It's the way he creates space, uses space. It's the way he sees the ice. It's the way he picks up speed even after he picks up the puck. And it's the meanness, the nastiness."

 

Claude Lemieux

 

"He's going to come down as one of the best players to ever play the game"

 

Milan Hejduk

 

Gary Bettman

"Peter Forsberg is a fierce competitor, a champion, a global star who has been completely committed to our game. We will miss seeing him on the ice."

 

Mr. E. Stanley Kroenke (Avalanche Owner)

"Peter Forsberg's career speaks for itself. He excelled at every level. Winning the Stanley Cup in 2001 was an extraordinary accomplishment for Peter and the entire franchise, one we will always cherish. It was a privilege for me and all Colorado Avalanche fans to watch Peter perform at such an elite level for so many great seasons. He always represented our organization in a first-class manner, and we are certain he will have continued success off the ice."

 

Pierre Lacroix (Avalanche President)

"Peter Forsberg was one of the elite players of his generation. His numerous skills, along with his second-to-none tenacity, made him very special. We were honored to have him wear the Avalanche sweater and we look forward to watching his #21 go to the rafters."

 

Joe Sakic

"I was very fortunate to play with one of the best players to ever play the game. His vision, strength on the puck and all he brought to the team was truly something we were all amazed with. Obviously the game is going to miss him but on the other hand it was great to see him come back with the Avalanche and finish off his career here."

 

Patrick Roy

"Peter Forsberg's skills and determination made him one of the most powerful forwards in the NHL during the best years of his career. Hearing of his retirement is sad news but one day every athlete has to come to this decision. He should be very proud of all he accomplished throughout his career."

 

Nicklas Lidstrom

"Peter has had a tremendous career. He's been a world class player, one of the superstars of the NHL. I've had the pleasure of playing with him on national teams and the gold-medal-winning Olympic team in Torino. It's sad to see him retire, but he wanted to go out on his own terms and I believe he's doing that. I wish him well in all of his future endeavors."

 

Sidney Crosby

“Crosby, who has had count­less epic bat­tles since en­ter­ing the NHL in 2005, sin­gles out Hall of Fame cen­ter Peter Fors­berg and Detroit’s Hen­rik Zet­ter­berg as the two most com­pet­i­tive guys he has faced as a pro.

 

“It’s pretty feisty [play­ing against them],” he said. “At times, pretty in­tense. Those guys are guys you re­ally go head-to-head against [as a cen­ter], tak­ing face­offs.

 

“You see them all game, all over the ice. It’s not like a de­fen­se­man you might have a cou­ple of rushes against, or maybe you’re in the cor­ner with him the odd time. You play the same po­si­tion, and you’re go­ing up against him ev­ery shift.”

 

Pre­dict­ably, Crosby ap­pre­ci­ates the way guys like Zet­ter­berg go all-in ev­ery time they hop over the boards.

 

He also says the sat­is­fac­tion that comes with suc­cess is en­hanced when he’s bat­tled an op­po­nent who’s fully com­mit­ted to best­ing him.

 

“I re­spect them, but I want to beat them,” he said. “At the end of the night, when you’re able to win a game like that, it’s def­i­nitely more re­ward­ing when the guy across from you is com­pet­ing the way those guys do.