Red Wings retiring Sergei Fedorov’s jersey next season

A beloved sweater finally is set to make its way to the rafters in Motown.

The Detroit Red Wings will retire Sergei Fedorov’s No. 91 jersey next season on Jan. 12, 2026 before a home game against the Carolina Hurricanes, the team announced Tuesday.

Team owner Chris Ilitch broke the news to Fedorov in a phone call on Monday.

“We are honoured to celebrate Sergei Fedorov and raise his #91 to its rightful place hanging in the rafters at Little Caesars Arena, among the all-time greats who have worn the Winged Wheel,” Ilitch said in a Red Wings press release. “His exceptional skill, relentless drive, and lasting impact playing a pivotal role bringing three Stanley Cup championships to Detroit make him the perfect embodiment of the qualities deserving of our franchise’s most prestigious honour.

“My parents, Mike and Marian Ilitch, had a special reverence for Sergei as one of the most dynamic and charismatic players of his era, and someone who made a tremendous impact on our organization. All of us at the Red Wings look forward to hosting Sergei and his family in January to pay tribute to his remarkable career.”

Fedorov, who was drafted by the Red Wings in 1989, finally will have the chance to reunite with former teammates Nicklas Lidstrom and Steve Yzerman in the rafters at Little Caesars Arena. The trio won three Stanley Cups together in 1997, 1998 and 2022.

His time in Detroit came with some hard feelings. After a lengthy holdout in 1997-98, Fedorov signed an offer sheet with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Red Wings did match the offer and Fedorov went on to help them win the Stanley Cup that season and in 2002 before he left as a free agent and signed with the Anaheim Ducks. For a time, Fedorov heard boos in Detroit when he returned.

The six-foot-two centre was most productive over his time in Detroit, tallying 400 goals and 554 assists for 954 points in 908 games in a red sweater. He added 50 goals and 113 assists for 163 points in 162 playoff games with Detroit.

“I’m extremely grateful for this tremendous honour,” Fedorov said in a release. “Thank you to everyone with the Red Wings organization, especially those who helped bring me to Detroit and gave me the chance to play for such a historic franchise. I was fortunate to be part of some unforgettable teams, and above all, I’m proud of the three Stanley Cup championships we won for our amazing fans in Hockeytown.”

Fedorov played 18 years in the NHL, splitting time between Detroit, the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Ducks and the Washington Capitals, before eventually retiring in 2009. Over his 1,248 career games, he picked up 483 goals and 696 assists for 1,179 points.

Along with his three Stanley Cups, the Russian won the Hart Trophy in 1994 and the Selke in 1994 and 1996. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 and was named one of the NHL’s 100 greatest players of all time.

He’ll be the eighth player to have his number retired by the Red Wings, joining Lidstrom (5), Yzerman (19), Terry Sawchuk (1), Red Kelly (4), Ted Lindsay (7), Gordie Howe (9), Alex Delvecchio (10) and Sid Abel (12).