Fishbulb

October 18th, 2021 at 7:31 PM ^

At one point he was the league’s fastest skater, had the hardest shot, and was the best defensive forward. Everything looked effortless. The Wings need to retire his number already. 

Joined: 07/24/2011

MGoPoints: 31667

XM - Mt 1822

October 18th, 2021 at 7:33 PM ^

he was awesome in his prime.  i've only seen a handful of wings games in the last 40 yrs, but i did get to see his 5 goal outburst vs. the caps 25 yrs ago.   might be the best skater ever in the NHL. 

Joined: 12/21/2011

MGoPoints: 103413

The Geek

October 19th, 2021 at 7:49 AM ^

I was at that game as well!  I was in the Navy and was home on leave and my Dad scored tickets. It was a great game. 
I mailed my ticket stub to the Red Wings public relations and Sergei actually signed it and they sent it back to me. I know, cool story bro. It’s framed on the wall in my man cave right now. 

Joined: 09/08/2009

MGoPoints: 24821

Ronswanson13

October 18th, 2021 at 7:49 PM ^

Good for Sergei. He was my favorite player ever until Datsyuk came around. His physical skills were undeniable - a real 5 tool talent - and his journey to the NHL is a crazy story. He defected to play in the NHL never knowing if he’d see his family again. Detroit definitely needs to retire 91 and I think they soon will.

Joined: 02/11/2016

MGoPoints: 10264

Bluesince89

October 20th, 2021 at 2:00 PM ^

Lidstrom's is retired.  I was the game last night and it's prominently up there.  Love Datsyuk, and it's probably an unpopular opinion, but I would not retire his number.  Not sure how you could do Datsyuk and not Zetterberg and I think that's probably too many retired numbers.  I wouldn't be upset if they did it though.  91 should be hanging from the rafters.  A truly remarkable player for the ages.  How many guys can transition from elite center to being an elite defensemen? And I don 't mean a forward that can play great defense and kill penalties - I mean transitioning to a blueliner and playing it seamlessly.  He could have racked up Norris trophies back there.  

Joined: 09/14/2008

MGoPoints: 14739

Victor70

October 18th, 2021 at 10:09 PM ^

1998 hold out is why. 

Federov was a restricted free agent, he held out almost for half the season.

Then he signed an offer from Carolina whose owner Pete Karmanos was a bitter rival in Detroit society with Mike Illitch, even down to Compuware vs Little Ceaser's youth hockey.

The contract called for just $2 million a year but a $20+ million bonus if the team won the conference finals.  Carolina was in last place and unlikely to have to pay the bonus but the Wings were favored to at least make the conference finals having just won the 97 Cup. But an arbitrator ruled that since Carolina wasn't mathematically out of the playoffs, the offer was valid and allowed it to stand over the Wings objection.

It was a giant FU.  Most likely if Illitch didn't match it then Karmanos would have renegotiated later.  At that point the Wings couldn't make any more counter offers.  Wings had to either match it or let him go for 5 first round picks.

In the end, Illitch matched the offer.  But when it came time to pay the bonus, with a struggling and downsizing Little Ceaser's corporation (they hadn't come up with the $5 Hot n ready idea yet) Mike Illitch was unable to find a US bank to loan the the money to pay the bonus to any of his corporations.  He ended up having to pay a hefty premium to a Chinese bank to get a personal loan to get it done.

That is the reason we will probably never get to see the number 91 retired.  At least not as long as Mrs. Illitch is still around.  I don't blame the Illitch family, though I wish it weren't this way.

Joined: 11/12/2009

MGoPoints: 950

NittanyFan

October 19th, 2021 at 12:32 AM ^

Yep.  91 isn't retired because the Ilitches hate Peter Karmanos.  "Hate" is the correct word here.  I remember Karmanos even wanted to try to move the Whalers to Suburban Detroit for a time.

Anyway, Federov earned that $20MM anyway.  He arguably should have won the Conn Smythe in 1997.  He had more goals than anyone else in the 1998 playoffs.  I don't think the Wings get beyond Dallas in the 1998 WCF without Sergei around.

 

Joined: 12/04/2012

MGoPoints: 43109

lilpenny1316

October 19th, 2021 at 10:17 AM ^

Those billionaires need to get over it. They don't win those Cups in 97 and 98 without him. Plus, they broke open the piggy bank every offseason and trade deadline for about a decade to pursue more Cups.

They're being petty and stubborn. Hang his banner from the rafters and do something besides building parking lots in Midtown.

 

Joined: 11/19/2009

MGoPoints: 61836

snarling wolverine

October 19th, 2021 at 1:57 PM ^

Ilitch at this time owned Little Caesar’s, the Wings, the Tigers, the Fox and dozens of other properties in Detroit.  It’s a bit difficult to believe that he literally couldn’t finance Federov’s bonus.  Maybe the problem was the terms he was asking for.

Regardless, it’s not Federov’s fault that Karmanos made him that offer and it really doesn’t matter to the fans.  The Ilitches obviously didn’t go broke owning two major franchises, given how long they’ve kept them.  Federov earned a jersey retirement based on his play on the ice.

Joined: 12/14/2011

MGoPoints: 98366

Colt Burgess

October 18th, 2021 at 8:17 PM ^

Sergei in person was incredible. He was silky smooth and strong on his skates. He won the Hart trophy, the Selke trophy, and could have won a Norris trophy. How does a guy score 56 goals and win best defensive forward in the same year? Gretzky once said he wished he had Fedorov's talent. 

Joined: 02/20/2021

MGoPoints: 12994

Harbaugh's Lef…

October 18th, 2021 at 9:09 PM ^

Is he on the staff coaching Team Russia or The Olympic Athletes from Russia?

The rest of the staff, along with Federov, would have been a killer team in their prime.

I'm not a Wings fan but loved Federov when he was playing, wondering where everybody puts him in terms of Russian players in the NHL. Not talking overall, in Russian and the NHL, but just in their time in the NHL. I'm putting him in the top 3 with Ovechkin and Bure.

Joined: 08/22/2016

MGoPoints: 35839