Growing up, I was always fascinated by the Russian hockey players who started to make their way over to North America in the late 1980s. With the Cold War still in full effect between the United States and the Soviet Union, Russian skaters began to defect overseas to play in the NHL. Alexander Mogilny, Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov, and Sergei Makarov played a different style of hockey that was quite unique compared to their American and Canadian counterparts. During the 1989 entry draft, Detroit Red Wings general manager Jim Devellano took a pivotal risk by selecting highly skilled forward Sergei Fedorov from CSKA Moscow in the fourth round (74th overall), which at the time was the highest a Soviet player had ever been selected. Devellano was wise in getting captain Steve Yzerman’s opinion on the matter. “He’s better than me,” Yzerman told the former Detroit GM.
Fedorov’s journey to the United States is well documented in former Detroit Free Press writer Keith Gave’s book “The Russian Five.” In July of 1990, the Russian star decided to defect. The Soviet national team came to North America to play in the Goodwill Games and had scheduled an exhibition match in Portland, Oregon. Red Wings’ representatives and Gave concocted a plan with Fedorov to bring him to Detroit. Team personnel waited outside his hotel and whisked him away in a car in the middle of the night without Russian officials noticing. The rest goes down in NHL history.
Coming to America
It didn’t take long for Fedorov to make his presence felt in the Motor City. The 21-year-old burst onto the scene with 79 points (31 goals, 48 assists) during his first season with the club that saw him finish second to the Chicago Blackhawks’ Ed Belfour for the Calder Memorial Trophy – awarded to the league’s top rookie. The 6-foot-2 sniper was dynamic with speed and moves that had never been seen in these parts. He quickly became a star in Hockeytown and was a driving force for a Red Wings team that won Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, and 2002. Fedorov was the first Russian to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. During his time in Detroit, he took home two Selke Trophies (best defensive forward), one Hart Memorial Trophy (Most Valuable Player), and one Lester B. Pearson (now the Ted Lindsay award for the most outstanding player). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. He was and still is considered by many to be one of the greatest two-way players of all time.
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During the 1990s, Fedorov was third in playoff scoring with 126 points, trailing only fellow Hall of Famers Mark Messier (126) and Mario Lemieux (136). He is only the third player in NHL history to have four consecutive 20-plus-point playoff performances. But he was also one of the top two-way players in the league and led the NHL in plus-minus in the 1990s with a plus-221. He was so talented that former Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman would even deploy him as a defenseman, and the transition was seamless. His game sometimes looked effortless because of his speed, skill, and power. At the same time, he was also a polarizing figure in the Detroit community. There were constant reports of late-night drinking parties, and he was arrested in 2001 for DUI. Then there was the on-again-off-again relationship with tennis star and fellow Russian Anna Kournikova. Where Fedorov went, the drama would follow.
World Class Talent
I worked for a local TV affiliate in the Detroit metro area in the late 1990s, and I still to this day remember what the sports program director once told me while we were getting pre-game sound at Joe Louis Arena. He said, “Fedorov could’ve been the Michael Jordan of hockey if (he) wanted to.” That always stuck with me. While he was a game-breaking player, it was apparent he had other interests in his life. He was a high-profile athlete, living in the spotlight, who liked to have a bit of fun. Fedorov was a rock star in Detroit. But sometimes, I wonder how his career would’ve played out if social media and camera phones existed during that time frame. As talented as he was, he did appear to have some demons.
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So why is the number 91 not hanging from the rafters at Little Caesars Arena? After a lengthy holdout to start the 1997-98 season, Fedorov – a restricted free agent – signed an offer sheet with the Carolina Hurricanes worth up to $38 million. The Red Wings matched the offer in late February of 1998, ending Fedorov’s holdout, but this scenario infuriated team management. Things were never the same after that. At that point, something happened with the relationship that still seems to linger, even today. How did it all play out during the playoffs that season? Fedorov led the Red Wings with ten goals and 20 points, and Detroit won back-to-back titles.
The 2001-02 campaign ended with the Red Wings capturing their third title in six seasons while Fedorov again led a star-studded cast to victory. The six-time All-Star had cemented his legacy in the game. But, of course, drama ensued. During the summer of 2003, Fedorov signed with the Anaheim Ducks after a long contract dispute with Detroit in which he rejected a five-year, $50 million deal. Bad blood had boiled over with management at that point. With the Ducks, Fedorov registered his 1,000th point in the NHL, becoming the first Russian-born and fifth European-born player to do so. He played two seasons in Orange County, then moved on to short stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals to round out his career.
Let It Go
There is no denying Fedorov’s role in the success of those Cup teams. It has been disheartening for Detroit fans to see how this has played out. Fedorov will always be mentioned in the same breath as the all-time greats in the Red Wings organization. It’s been over 21 years since he last donned the Winged Wheel. At some point, you have to recognize what he meant to this club and the league as a whole. Who’s to say how many Cups the Red Wings win without him? He was a superstar and a playoff hero during one of the greatest stretches in Red Wings’ history.
There’s a reason no one has worn that number since he left the Motor City. He still commands respect amongst some of the game’s greatest players – even to this day. We all saw how the Detroit Lions mended their relationship with Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson – over a financial dispute, of course – and what that meant to the city and the team. Why can’t Red Wings management do the same? While the Illitch family owns the club, it’s also a big part of the heart and soul of this city. No. 91 earned his spot in the rafters with his play, and that’s exactly where his jersey belongs.
