Detroit–the detroit red wings Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 jersey was retired Monday night, more than a decade after he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, honoring the Russian great.
He said, “Detroit is home, always will be – no matter where I live.”
Fedorov left town in 2003, signing with the then-Mighty Ducks anaheim. Five years ago, as a restricted free agent, he signed an offer letter to play carolina stormBut the Red Wings matched the offer and he remained in Detroit.
“It was a huge mistake when I left Detroit,” the 56-year-old Fedorov said during a pregame ceremony before Detroit. 4-3 overtime win Against Carolina. “He’s on me.”
The dynamic, two-way center became the ninth player to have his jersey retired by the Red Wings, joining Hall of Famers Gordie Howe, Nicklas Lidstrom and Steve Yzerman.
The Red Wings drafted Fedorov in the fourth round in 1989 and helped him escape the Soviet Union in 1990 when he was in the country for the Goodwill Games.
After Fedorov got off the team bus in Portland, Oregon, he saw Red Wings executive Jim Lights reading the newspaper in the hotel lobby as planned – and they walked out a side door, into a limousine and onto a private plane.
“I’ve always admired courage,” said Yzerman, a former teammate and current general manager of the franchise.
Fedorov was part of the Red Wings’ “Russian Five” that helped Detroit win the Stanley Cup in 1997 and 1998. He was a six-time All-Star in his 13 seasons with the franchise and won his third Stanley Cup with the team in 2002.
He became the first European to win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 1994. He was the first Red Wing to win the award since Howe in 1963 – and is the most recent player to win it for the franchise.
Yzerman said, “His rare combination of skill, speed and power made him one of the best all-around players in the history of the game.”
Fedorov played for the Ducks, Columbus and Washington and scored 483 goals and 1,179 points in his career.
Fedorov finished his career with the Capitals during the 2008–09 season, playing alongside his fellow Russian and Olympic teammate Alex Ovechkin.
“One of the best players I’ve ever played with,” Ovechkin said in a video tribute.
Fedorov was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, his first year of eligibility.
The Red Wings retired Yzerman and Lidstrom’s jerseys shortly after their retirements, but team ownership was more thoughtful about sealing Fedorov’s legacy with the franchise.
Fedorov said he was grateful to have a spot with “those legends” near the rafters at Little Caesars Arena.
“It’s surreal — in the best way,” he said, crying.
