Red Wings To Officially Retire Sergei Fedorov's No. 91 Jersey Number

In a move that was long overdue, the Detroit Red Wings announced this morning that the iconic No. 91 jersey number of Sergei Fedorov will be retired and raised to the rafters at Little Caesars Arena. 

The ceremony will take place on January 12 before a game against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Fedorov's story of defection from the Soviet Union in the middle of the night was nothing short of incredible, and he would go on to become one of the greatest and most thrilling players not only in Red Wings history, but in all of the NHL. 

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Fedorov won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player in 1994, and would help the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2002. 

The relationship between Fedorov and the Red Wings wasn't without complications, as he infamously held out following the 1997 Stanley Cup victory and even signed an offer sheet with the Hurricanes, who were owned by Peter Karmonos, a bitter business foe of Mike Ilitch. 

The Red Wings matched the offer, and Fedorov remained with Detroit for several more years. During his time with the Red Wings, he played in 908 gams and scored exactly 400 goals while adding 554 assists, along with 50 goals and 113 assists in 162 playoff games. 

His 954 career points in a Red Wings uniform rank sixth all time in team history. 

But Fedorov's time with the franchise officially ended in the 2003 offseason. After reportedly turning down a pair of contract offers from Detroit, he signed with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, who had just eliminated the Red Wings from the Stanley Cup Playoffs earlier that spring. 

Upon Fedorov's return to Joe Louis Arena in December 2003, he was treated as a villain and heavily booed by the fans.

Fedorov would later play for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals before returning to Russia to play in the KHL. 

Thankfully, the relationship between Fedorov and the fans has been mended in recent years, as he received a hearty welcome during the Alumni Game in 2013 prior to the 2014 Winter Classic. 

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. 

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