Red Wings retire Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 in Detroit

The Detroit Red Wings retired Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 on Monday, honoring his playing career and formally closing a long chapter after Fedorov acknowledged that leaving the team in 2003 was a mistake.

Sergei Fedorov's No. 91 was raised to the rafters Monday at Little Caesars Arena as the Detroit Red Wings formally retired his jersey. The ceremony included theatrical touches, with Fedorov arriving in a burgundy Corvette and the team honoring his signature white Nike skates. The event highlighted both his on-ice achievements and a complicated relationship with the franchise that stretched across decades. In an on-ice speech, Fedorov acknowledged that leaving Detroit in 2003 had been a mistake. Key details: - The Red Wings retired Fedorov’s No. 91 in a ceremony at Little Caesars Arena that featured a Corvette entrance and commemorative white skates. - The team skated out in white skates for pregame warm-ups and the club presented Fedorov with a pair during the ceremony. - Fedorov was drafted by Detroit in 1989 and defected from the Soviet Union while in the United States with the national team at the 1990 Goodwill Games. - Early career milestones included a 31-goal, 79-point rookie season and finishing second in Calder Trophy voting; he won the Hart Trophy in 1994 after a 120-point season and won the Selke Trophy in 1994 and 1996. - He helped Detroit win three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998 and 2002) and addressed the crowd, saying his 2003 departure from the team was "a huge mistake," while thanking the Ilitch family. Summary: The jersey retirement formalizes Fedorov’s place in Red Wings history and served as a personal, public moment to reconcile parts of his career and relationship with the club. The ceremony underscored his influence on teammates and on the NHL’s path for Russian players. Undetermined at this time.