From the moment the Detroit Red Wings announced their plans to retire Sergei Fedorov’s iconic No. 91 jersey, fans couldn’t help but wonder -- what took them so long?

Fedorov’s number becomes the ninth retired in Red Wings history, joining legends like Sid Abel (No. 12), Gordie Howe (No. 9), and Steve Yzerman (No. 19).

Connor Brown scored after getting hit in the mouth by a skate, Stuart Skinner made 25 saves for his third shutout of the postseason and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Dallas Stars 3-0 in Game 2 on Friday night to even the Western Conference final.

Artemi Panarin and Frank Vatrano each had a goal and two assists and the New York Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 in Game 2 on Thursday night to even the best-of-seven first-round series.

The new Detroit Red Wings vice president of hockey operations is an old favorite: Nicklas Lidstrom.

Here’s a gem we found in the Local 4 Vault recently: Interviews with Detroit Red Wings legends Steve Yzerman, Scotty Bowman and Sergei Fedorov ahead of the 1993-94 NHL season.

We’re about a month out from the NHL’s Seattle Kraken expansion draft. Now’s a good time to get a handle on what to expect and how this will affect the Detroit Red Wings roster.

Here’s a quick little quiz about the man, the myth, the legend: Sergei Fedorov.

May 31, 2002 is one of the most legendary moments in Detroit Red Wings history.

1997 Season: Red Wing captain Steve Yzerman leads teammates around the ice with the Stanley Cup. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)I am looking for stories about the Detroit Red Wings. But all Red Wings fans, young and old, have special memories from Olympia Stadium, Joe Louis Arena, LCA to share. Let’s hear about it:I’ll feature these stories in the Dear Red Wings newsletter, so be sure to share story and check that box to sign up! Related: Memorable Red Wings moments at Joe Louis Arena

The Rangers defeated the Capitals 6-5 in overtime; Zibanejad scored five goals. And, the last put him in the New York Rangers' record books and delivered them a big-time victory. Zibanejad is the first Rangers center with at least 35 goals in a season since Hall of Famer Eric Lindros in 2001-02. Zibanejad joined Don Murdoch (Oct. 12, 1976) and Mark Pavelich (Feb. 23, 1983) as Rangers with five goals in a game. That came after Zibanejad scored on a rebound with 1:42 remaining to give New York a brief 5-4 lead.

DETROIT I went with my wife and daughter the other night to see "The Russian Five." RELATED: Red Wings 'Russian Five' documentary goes to big screenI remember interviewing Red Wings General Manager Jimmy Devellano many times. I remember when Sergei Fedorov arrived, but I had forgotten the international stir it caused when he defected from Russia to join the Red Wings. We knew so little of the enormous professional and personal trials he faced both on and off the ice. If you were a fan in 1997, youll remember the joy of that Stanley Cup championship that scratched a 42-year itch.

The Lightning boast a 59-15-4 record, just three wins shy of the league's regular season wins record of 62. The Detroit Red Wings set that record back in 1995-96 when they went 62-13-7 for a total 131 points. The 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens held the regular season wins record at 60 before the Red Wings broke it nearly 20 years later. The Canadiens still hold the all-time single season points record of 132 because they had only 8 losses and 12 ties that season. The difference between the 1995-96 Red Wings and Lightning is that the Red Wings had to settle for seven ties.