Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz announced his retirement from the NHL on Friday. Francouz missed the entire season due to a lower-body injury and returned to his native Czechia with his family.
The 33-year-old’s impact on the Avalanche was great despite making just 64 starts and 73 appearances for the team over four seasons. He was a member of the club as they grew and developed into the one that won the Stanley Cup during the 2021-2022 season; he played a pivotal part in the run while serving as a reliable backup goaltender at other times.
Francouz’s History and Impact
Francouz was signed out of the Kontinental Hockey League to play with the Avs’ American Hockey League affiliate Colorado Eagles on May 2, 2018. He was named an AHL All-Star in his first campaign, with a record of 27-17-3, a .918 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.68 goals against average (GAA.) That season was enough to earn him a promotion and help split the net with Philipp Grubauer during the 2019-2020 season. He played 34 games, started 31, and finished with a 31-21-7 record, a .923 SV% and a 2.41 GAA The only starter that season who put up better stats was Tuukka Rask. The 2020-2021 season was one to forget as he bounced in between the roster and injured reserve with multiple lingering ailments.
In 2021-2022, Francouz played fewer games while backing up newly acquired goaltender Darcy Kuemper from the Arizona Coyotes. Playing 21 games and starting 18, he finished with a record of 18-15-5, a .916 SV%, and a 2.55 GAA, but he shined in the playoffs. When Kuemper suffered a minor eye injury against the Nashville Predators in the first round, it was up to Francouz to step up, and he did just that, helping the Avalanche finish the sweep against the Predators and then coming back in relief against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final. He finished the playoffs with a record of 6-0-0, a .906 SV%, and 2.81 GAA. The following season, he couldn’t stay healthy as a backup for Alexandar Georgiev.
Without Francouz, would the Avalanche have won that Stanley Cup in 2022? They did have Jonas Johansson during the run, but would he have played as well as Francouz would have? Ultimately, all careers must end, and all Avalanche fans should hold a special place in their heart for Francouz and what he did with the team.
