Some may argue that Fedorov taking his rightful place amongst fellow Pink Wings legends is lengthy overdue — he performed his final NHL recreation in 2012 and was inducted into the Hockey Corridor of Fame in 2015 — nevertheless it’s lastly occurring nonetheless.
Fedorov has all the time deserved the distinction for his accomplishments on the ice, however his story has been a sophisticated one since he grew to become one of many faces of the NHL within the Nineties after defecting from Russia.
From that time on, the Russian celebrity would turn out to be one of many league’s finest gamers and a advertising sensation off the ice as properly. He scored exactly 400 goals and registered 954 complete factors in 13 seasons with the Pink Wings. Fedorov was an All-Star six instances, named league MVP in 1994 and helped Detroit seize three Stanley Cup titles. Fedorov would end his profession with 483 targets and 1,179 factors, additionally spending time with the Anaheim Geese, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals.
Nevertheless, regardless of his brilliance on the ice, Fedorov’s relationship with the Red Wings has been rocky since he left Detroit 22 years in the past. The preliminary drama started in 1997 when Fedorov held out as a restricted free agent early within the season throughout a contract dispute. He even signed a suggestion sheet with the Carolina Hurricanes. Detroit matched the provide, however the wounds between Pink Wings proprietor Mike Ilitch and Fedorov by no means totally healed.
Then got here Fedorov’s precise departure as an unrestricted free agent in the summertime of 2003. At the moment, he rejected a bigger provide to stick with Detroit and as a substitute determined to signal with the Geese, the group that simply upset the then-defending champion Pink Wings within the first spherical.
Fedorov’s choice was considered as a betrayal by followers, resulting in the previous fan favourite being booed mercilessly upon his return to Joe Louis Area the next season.
Sadly, this led to Fedorov being separated from the Pink Wings for a few years, even after retiring.
Quick ahead to the current day, and the 2 sides are united once more, this time ceaselessly. And it feels proper as a result of, in Fedorov’s personal phrases from his Corridor of Fame induction speech, he is a Pink Wing at coronary heart.
However now that one hockey injustice has been corrected, the strain stays on normal supervisor Steve Yzerman, Fedorov’s former teammate from 1990-2003, to ensure the Red Wings’ future is as bright as its previous.
