The Avalanche held its second of 10 'Alumni Nights' on Friday, honoring Gusarov before the game against Carolina.

When he was with the Avalanche, Gusarov passed on doing interviews. His wit was well-known among his teammates and sometimes on display to the media - just never on the record.

On Dec. 13, 1995, Gusarov had to leave a game at Buffalo after taking a big hit. Rick Sadowski, of the Rocky Mountain News, and I gave it a shot with Gusarov, knowing he allegedly couldn't speak English. To our surprise, 'Goose' briefly assured us that the hit wasn't dirty, and that he would be fine. In English.

Even after that, he professed to be unable to communicate in English. Yet one day when I walked by him as he was on the phone, he noticed me and told the person at the other end of the line: 'My life is great. I love talking to the reporters.'

In 1999, I finally was able to get a few words out of him on the record after I asked about his family's experiences during the Germans' horrific siege of Leningrad during World War II, when an estimated 632,000 residents died.

'I am very proud of my parents,' he said. He said his mother, who had been about 7 when the siege began, 'tried to teach me and explain everything.' He said his father 'escaped from home with an uncle. He was 12 years old. He went to fight Germans.'

Gusarov has remained a resident of the Evergreen area since his 2000 trade to the New York Rangers.

'I really appreciate the organization doing this in retirement, for old people,' he said Friday. 'I was with this organization a long time. I think about hockey every day. Not all day, of course. It's all good memories.'

Gusarov works for a Wheat Ridge company, Able Planet, which makes audio equipment, including for those with limited hearing. He also owns two late-model stock cars that compete at Colorado National Speedway in Erie. 'Why I do this? That's a really good question,' Gusarov said. 'My wife asks me this all the time. 'Why are you doing it?' I just do it.'

Terry Frei, The Denver Post