When the Detroit Red Wings announced on Tuesday morning that Sergei Fedorov's number would be retired on January 12, 2026, many Red Wings fans greeted the news with excitement and expressed the sentiment that this was long overdue. Hurricanes fans found the announcement incredibly ironic.
The jersey retirement coincides with the Hurricanes' only trip to the Motor City next season in mid-January, and there's plenty of history between all three parties dating back to the late 1990s. For a moment, Fedorov could've been a Hurricane.
Amidst a holdout in 1997-98, Hurricanes owner Peter Karmanos Jr. was ready to back the Brinks truck up to land the restricted free agent. To this point in his career, Fedorov had a Hart Trophy, two Selkes, three All-Star appearances, and he was coming off a Stanley Cup win in 1997. He had almost 600 points in just over 500 games and was one of the best scorers in the league.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes were in their first season after relocation and playing their home games in a building outside of their home base. They were actively losing money as they tried to prove that hockey could work in North Carolina. It didn't help that the team wasn't very good, either. It's no wonder they were pushing so hard to snatch him away from the Red Wings.
While it was a good hockey move for the Hurricanes, the decision likely stemmed from a deep-seated rivalry between Karmanos and Detroit owner Mike Ilitch. Regardless, the ball was in Detroit's court after a six-year, $38 million offer was put on the table to poach Fedorov. The Red Wings matched the offer, preventing this all-time move from taking place.
Ilitch and Detroit got the last laugh. Not only did they repeat in 1998 after Fedorov re-signed, but the Red Wings defeated the Hurricanes for the Stanley Cup in five games in 2002. Fedorov had a series-high five points and tied for second on the team with 19 points during the run to his third Stanley Cup victory.
This moment truly is long overdue for Fedorov and the Red Wings. He's one of four Red Wings with 400 goals in Detroit and is 6th in team history in points. No Red Wing will ever wear #91 again. That the Hurricanes will be in town for this moment is both cool and ironic. It's almost as if they planned for it to be this way.