It will be a historic night at Little Caesars Arena on Monday, as the Detroit Red Wings will officially retire the iconic No. 91 jersey number of Sergei Fedorov, one of the greatest and most exciting players not only in the club's history but in NHL history.
Fedorov, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, was informed of the honor by Red Wings owner and CEO Chris Ilitch during the offseason, which he admitted left him breathless.
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“When we spoke, we first exchanged the usual questions about how things were going, how our families were doing, and then he shared the news with me," Fedorov said about his call with Ilitch. "Honestly, in the first three or four minutes of the conversation, I wasn’t 100 percent sure where it was headed."
"But then he started listing all of our victories, our achievements, and how long it took to get there," he continued. "At that moment, it took my breath away. Memories rushed back—our struggles, our bumps along the road, and of course that unforgettable parade of emotions after winning our first Stanley Cup."
On the eve of Fedorov's historic night in Detroit, he released a heartfelt love letter to the fans of Hockeytown.
Hey Hockeytown:
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 12, 2026
A letter from Sergei Fedorov pic.twitter.com/l3qpBDwXmL
A Red Wing at heart. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/E6YCagNUK9
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) January 12, 2026
Fedorov will be appropriately honored by the Red Wings, for whom he was a key element in their historic Stanley Cup victories of 1997, 1998, and 2002. During his time in Detroit, he also won the 1994 Hart Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player, the Lester B. Pearson Award, and the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward in both 1994 and 1996.
He also earned six NHL All-Star Game appearances and was officially named as one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017.
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