Even as a child, I was fascinated by the Russian hockey players who came to North America in the late 1980s. With the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union still in full swing, Russian hockey players began flocking abroad to play in the NHL. Alexander Mogilny, Slava Fetisov, Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov played a different, quite unique style of hockey than their American and Canadian counterparts. At the 1989 Entry Draft, Detroit Red Wings General Manager Jim Devellano took a crucial risk by selecting highly talented forward Sergei Fedorov from CSKA Moscow in the fourth round (74th overall). At the time, this was the highest selection ever made for a Soviet player. Devellano was smart enough to seek 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 documented in detail in former Detroit Free Press writer Keith Gave’s book The Russian Five. In July 1990, the Russian star decided to defect. The Soviet national team was coming to North America to participate in the Goodwill Games and had scheduled a friendly match in Portland, Oregon. Red Wings officials and Gave made 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, unbeknownst to Russian officials. The rest will go down in NHL history.
Coming to America
It didn’t take long for Fedorov to make his presence known in the Motor City. The 21-year-old impressed with 79 points (31 goals, 48 assists) in his first season with the club, where he finished second behind Ed Belfour of the Chicago Blackhawks and won the Calder Memorial Trophy – awarded to the league’s best rookie. The 6’2 sharpshooter was dynamic, quick and had moves never seen in these parts. He quickly became a star in Hockeytown and was a driving force for the Red Wings team that won the Stanley Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2002. Fedorov was the first Russian to surpass the 1,000-point mark. During his time in Detroit, he won two Selke Trophies (best defensive forward), a Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player), and a Lester B. Pearson (now the Ted Lindsay Award for most outstanding player). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. He was and is considered by many to be one of the best two-way players of all time.
Related: Red Wings: 5 things we learned about Steve Yzerman
In the 1990s, Fedorov was the third-leading playoff player with 126 points, second only to fellow Hall of Famers Mark Messier (126) and Mario Lemieux (136). He is only the third player in NHL history to score 20 or more points in four consecutive playoffs. But he was also one of the league’s best two-way players, leading the NHL in plus-minus in the 1990s with a plus-221. He was so talented that former Red Wings head coach Scotty Bowman even used him as a defenseman – the transition was seamless. His game sometimes seemed effortless due to his speed, skill and strength. At the same time, he was a polarizing figure in the Detroit community. There were constant reports of late-night drinking parties, and in 2001 he was arrested for drunk driving. Then there was the on-off relationship with the tennis star and his compatriot Anna Kournikova. Wherever Fedorov went, the drama was not to be underestimated.
World-class talent
I worked for a local TV station in the Detroit area in the late 1990s, and I still remember what the sports programming director once said to me while we were doing pregame audio at Joe Louis Arena. He said, “Fedorov could have been the Michael Jordan of hockey if he wanted to.” That always stuck with me. Although he was a game-winning player, he obviously had other interests in his life. He was a high-profile athlete who lived in the spotlight and liked to have a little fun. Fedorov was a rock star in Detroit. But sometimes I wonder what his career would have been like if social media and cell phone cameras had existed back then. As talented as he was, he seemed to have some demons.
Related: Red Wings: 3 key takeaways from Detroit’s offseason strategy
So why isn’t the number 91 hanging from the rafters of Little Caesars Arena? After a long wait at the beginning of the 1997-98 season, Fedorov – a restricted free agent – signed a contract with the Carolina Hurricanes worth up to $38 million. The Red Wings increased the offer in late February 1998, ending Fedorov’s waiting period, but this scenario infuriated team management. Nothing was the same after that. That’s when something happened to the relationship that seems to have reverberated to this day. How did it all go during the playoffs that season? Fedorov led the Red Wings with 10 goals and 20 points, and Detroit won two straight titles.
The 2001-02 season ended with the Red Wings winning their third title in six seasons, and Fedorov once again led a star-studded cast to victory. The six-time All-Star had made his name in the game. But of course, drama followed. In the summer of 2003, Fedorov signed with the Anaheim Ducks after turning down a five-year, $50 million contract, by which time he had been in a heated argument with management. It was with the Ducks that Fedorov scored his 1,000th NHL point, becoming the first Russian-born and fifth European-born player to do so. He played two seasons in Orange County, then moved on to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals to round out his career.
Let it go
Fedorov’s role in the success of those Cup teams is undeniable. It was disheartening for Detroit fans to see how it played out. Fedorov will always be mentioned in the same breath as the Red Wings’ all-time greats. It’s been over 21 years since he last wore 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 will win without him? He was a superstar and a playoff hero during one of the greatest periods in Red Wings history.
There’s a reason no one has worn that number since he left the Motor City. He still commands respect from some of the game’s greatest players — even to this day. We all saw how the Detroit Lions repaired 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? Although the club is owned by the Illitch family, it’s also a big part of the heart and soul of this city. Number 91 earned his place in the league with his play, and that’s exactly where his jersey belongs.
