DETROIT – History is about to unfold at Little Caesars Arena on Monday.
Sergei Fedorov’s #91 will join the immortals of Hockeytown on Jan. 12. For fans, this has been decades in the making.
The story began in the late 80s, when the young Soviet star caught Detroit’s eye. The Red Wings took a chance on him and drafted him in the fourth round of ‘89, making him the highest-drafted Soviet player of all time. Then came defection.
He left Russia behind and headed to Detroit to play for the Red Wings. His impact became immediate with 31 goals and 48 assists as a rookie, second only to Steve Yzerman in team history.
Nine 30-goal seasons, multiple 100-point campaigns. A feat only matched by the inverse of his number, 19, for Steve Yzerman himself.
From 1990 to 2003, Fedorov was one of the engines of the Russian Five, playing 908 games with 400 goals, 550 assists and the playoffs. He never missed one with the Red Wings.
The fairy tale hit a bump in 2003 when contract talks broke down. Fedorov would play for other teams until 2008, then finish his career in Russia, retiring in 2012.
The accolades kept coming. First-ballot Hall of Famer in 2015, named one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players in 2017.
As the years passed and the jerseys rose: 19 for Yserman, 5 for Listrom, 4 for Red Kelly -- fans have asked, when will it be Sergei’s turn?
In August 2025, the fans got their answer. The wait finally ends on Jan. 12.
Fedorov’s #91 becomes the Red Wings’ ninth retired number in franchise history.
Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing with Illitch Sports and Entertainment, Asia Gholston, joined Local 4 Live to talk about this historic celebration. You can watch the full interview at the beginning of this article.