HIGHLIGHTS
- Detroit will retire Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 on January 12 against Carolina
- Fedorov becomes the ninth Red Wings player to receive the honor
- Watch the announcement video and read details about the ceremony below
Sergei Fedorov is finally getting his due.
The Detroit Red Wings announced Tuesday they’re hanging Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 in the rafters where it belongs. The Russian legend will see his jersey retired on January 12 when Carolina visits Little Caesars Arena.
Fedorov becomes the ninth Red Wing to have his number retired, joining legends such as Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, and Nicklas Lidstrom. The 55-year-old spent 13 of his 18 NHL seasons in Detroit after defecting from the Soviet Union in 1990.
The numbers speak for themselves. Fedorov racked up 400 goals and 954 points in 908 games wearing the Winged Wheel. He won three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998, 2002), took home the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1994, and snagged two Selke Trophies as the best defensive forward. The guy could do it all.
His 1993-94 season was absolutely bonkers. Fedorov dropped 56 goals and 120 points while playing elite defense. Those are video-game stats right there. He became the first European-trained player to win MVP, breaking down barriers in the process.
“I’m extremely grateful for this tremendous honor,” Fedorov said in the team’s release. “I was fortunate to be part of some unforgettable teams, and above all, I’m proud of the three Stanley Cup championships we won for our amazing fans in Hockeytown.”
Red Wings CEO Chris Ilitch called Fedorov on Monday morning to share the news. It’s been 16 years since Fedorov last played in the NHL, and fans have been pushing for this moment for ages.
Fedorov was the centerpiece of Detroit’s famous “Russian Five” alongside Igor Larionov, Slava Kozlov, Slava Fetisov, and Vladimir Konstantinov. That unit changed hockey and helped bring three championships to Detroit.
Fedorov even made white skates cool through his Nike deal, as he was the company’s first non-North American spokesman.
After leaving Detroit in 2003, Fedorov played for Anaheim, Columbus, and Washington before heading to Russia. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.
Yes, things did get messy at the end. The Carolina offer sheet in 1998, which paid him $28 million in one season, still stings for some fans. And leaving for Anaheim in 2003 didn’t sit well either.
But former teammate Chris Chelios said it best on TNT last season: “That’s shocking, it’s not there yet [his jersey not being retired], but I hope it gets in there because he deserves more than anybody.”
January 12 is going to be a special night in Detroit. One of the most electrifying players in franchise history finally takes his place among the greats where he belongs.
