COLUMBUS, Ohio (CP) - The Colorado Avalanche deny a report out of Sweden that star centre Peter Forsberg has committed to playing in his home country next season regardless of the NHL's labour situation.
``I never have heard anything like that,'' Avs GM Pierre Lacroix told the Denver Post. ``It's not true. It's like you and me talking about me playing golf against Tiger Woods tomorrow.''
The Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported in Saturday's edition that Forsberg had already agreed to play next season for MoDo, the Swedish Elite League team in his home town of Ornskoldsvik.
Forsberg, the NHL MVP last season, is playing this season under a one-year contract with the Avs. There have been reports that Forsberg was positioning himself to have the option to return to play for MoDo during an NHL labour dispute.
Under International Ice Hockey Federation agreements, Forsberg couldn't play in Sweden during a lockout if he was under contract to the Avalanche. Also, he could not return to Colorado next season following a labour settlement if he is under contract to MoDo.
The Aftonbladet story says Forsberg has ``decided'' and that he ``will sign (with MoDo) regardless of the lockout,'' and has so informed Colorado. It also said, however, that nobody involved, including the Avalanche, can talk about the issue until after the playoffs.
Forsberg, 30, played four seasons for MoDo before joining the now-defunct Quebec Nordiques in 1995 following the last NHL work stoppage.