‘Detroit means home': Red Wings retire Fedorov's No. 91 jersey in special pregame ceremony on Monday

DETROIT -- On Monday night – approximately 37 years after the Detroit Red Wings took him at No. 74 overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, 23 years after his final game donning the Winged Wheel and 11 years after being immortalized in the Hockey Hall of Fame -- Sergei Fedorov watched his No. 91 jersey take its rightful place high in the rafters at Little Caesars Arena.

“Detroit means home,” Fedorov said during a pre-ceremony press conference. “My parents were still residing here. My mind was here. I always tried to get back and spend as much time with them. Detroit is home. Always been, no matter where I was. I swear, every time I land in Detroit, I feel at ease and breathe differently. I enjoy that feeling.”

Fedorov, a native of Pskov, Russia, defected to the United States following an exhibition contest between the Soviet Union and Team USA at the 1990 Goodwill Games in Portland, Ore. Just a 20-year-old when he arrived in Detroit on July 23, 1990, Fedorov said defecting was a decision he “had no second thoughts about.”

“I trusted people that came to get me,” Fedorov said. “I was so excited and happy. I couldn’t sleep on the plane, even though we flew overnight. Six in the morning, I was in Detroit and never looked back. It was sunny, and I was very happy that I made that step.”

That was just the first chapter of Fedorov’s illustrious NHL career, one that spanned 18 seasons, including his first 13 with the Red Wings. In total, Fedorov notched 1,179 points (483 goals and 696 assists) in 1,248 regular-season games as well as 176 points (52 goals and 124 assists) in 183 Stanley Cup Playoffs contests between Detroit, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals from 1990-2009.

“All I know is great winters and we had a lot of ice time and a lot of snow, and I was able to go to school five minutes away and the ice rink five minutes away back from home,” Fedorov said when asked how his 12-year-old self would’ve felt had he known about Monday’s pregame ceremony. “I enjoyed the weather and playing a fast sport on skates.”

During his tenure with the Red Wings, Fedorov scored 400 goals and added 554 assists for 954 points in 908 contests, helping Detroit capture three Stanley Cup championships (1997, 1998, 2002). Among his many accolades, he earned two Frank J. Selke Trophies as the League’s top defensive forward (1994, 1996), won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player and Ted Lindsay Award as the most outstanding player as voted on by fellow members of the NHLPA following the 1993-94 campaign, and was a six-time NHL All-Star (1992, 1994, 1996, 2001-2003).

Fedorov still feels immense gratitude to the best fans in hockey, who showered him with cheers from the moment he appeared on the ice in a burgundy Corvette -- his favorite car – to kick off Monday’s unforgettable ceremony.

“They were loud, loyal and always there,” Fedorov said. “They always came to the games to support us. At times, I thought The Joe might fall apart. That’s how loud it was, especially in the playoffs. Our fans were our sixth player on the ice, so we always had an advantage.”

Sharing his jersey retirement ceremony, which included heartfelt speeches from Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman and the Russian forward himself in addition to a touching video of congratulatory messages from individuals who know Fedorov best, with his family meant a lot to the father of two.

“Definitely more special with family, kids and my wife coming in,” Fedorov said. “You got to start somewhere, obviously. Maybe a late bloomer as far as a family and kids, but I want to make sure I do one thing at a time, and I do it well. Thankful I met my lovely wife and we became a family and had kids. I don’t mind that [my children] didn’t see me play live. There’s a lot of videos and other things, but they still have time to grow up because they’re eight and nine. They watch everything but their dad’s highlights. They watch Messi, Ronaldo, Ovi.”

Just the ninth skater in franchise history to have his number retired, Fedorov also revealed No. 91 was all he had in mind when he had to decide what he wanted stitched under his last name on the back of his Red Wings sweater all those years ago.

“Alex Mogilny, my fellow countryman, left in ’89, took 89 in Buffalo,” Fedorov said. “I left in 1990 but didn’t really like 0 on my back. So, I kindly asked the Red Wings equipment manager, ‘Can I get 91?’ At the time, I knew those big numbers were only for statures of players like Wayne Gretzky. The answer is, I always look, feel and try to go forward.”

And now, at long last, that big number is officially out of circulation in Hockeytown.

“Hockey is a team sport, and it always will be, ever since I tried it for the first time and as I grew up,” Fedorov said. “I’d like to think people will think I’m a team guy, can come through at the key moments and play different positions except goalie. I hope they enjoyed it while it was happening.”