A case for #91 in the rafters?

[egroen 384]

Few will argue Lindsay does not deserve to have his number retired by the Wings, but many will say Fedorov does not deserve the same honor because of the "way he left"...

Ironically, Fedorov was simply exercising his right to free agency that Ted Lindsay fought so hard to give the players (by creating a palyers' union). Ultimately, for challenging the powers that be in the NHL at the time, Lindsay was stripped of his captaincy and traded to the bottom-of-the-barrel Chicago Blackhawks. Lindsay was a leading player in the NHL and Jack Adams was so irate at him that he actually planted false rumours about Ted and false defamatory comments by Ted against his old team in the press, and showed a fake contract to the press, showing an inflated annual salary. It is hard to imagine a worse seperation than between Lindsay and the Red Wings.

Time and perspective obviously change things. Fedorov was upset at the time of contracts being offered and pulled with little notice and said some inflamatory comments about the Red Wings organization (comparing leaving the Red Wings to leaving communist Russia), but his tone has definitely changed over the years and you would be hard pressed to find nothing but positive comments from Fedorov about the Wings. He is still active in the Detroit community and involved in charities as well. Even Ted Lindsay and the Red Wings were able to bury the hatchet. Ted was able to come back and finish his career as a Wing (once Adams was out, and Abel was in), and even was the NHL Executive of the Year once as general manager for the Wings. His number is now retired and he is an "Honored Member" of the Detroit Red Wings Alumni Association.

Let's compare the numbers and awards (while both were Red Wings):

GP Gls Ass Pts Regular Season

862 335 393 728 Lindsay

908 398 543 941 Fedorov

GP Gls Ass Pts Playoffs

123 44 44.. 88 Lindsay

162 50 113 164 Fedorov

Awards:

Stanley Cups

4 Lindsay

3 Fedorov

Art Ross - Lindsay

1st Team All Star X 8 - Lindsay

2nd Team All Star - Lindsay

1st Team All Star - Fedorov

Pearson - Fedorov

Hart - Fedorov

Selke X 2 - Fedorov

Feodorv is fourth all-time in nearly every offensive category in Red Wings history behind Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, and Alex Delvecchio. Only Howe, Yzerman, Delvecchio, and Nicklas Lidström have played more games as a Red Wing.

My comparison to Lindsay is not to say Fedorov was "better" than Lindsay (he isn't), but only that here you have two great, integral players during thier tenure with the Wings, and both left on pretty bad terms.

So I do think Fedorov's number will be retired by the Red Wings and it will be deserved.... but not before #4, #5 and #6!!!

Edited October 15, 2008 by egroen

[betterREDthandead 58]

As I always say when this stuff comes up....

If you have to "make a case" then the answer is NO!

And why #4? For the absolute best dogsledder in Wings history?

[AtomicPunk 296]

#16 needs to go up next. Let's retire his number while the fans still remember how great he was, not 30 years later like some of the numbers of the past.

[egroen 384]

As I always say when this stuff comes up....

If you have to "make a case" then the answer is NO!

And why #4? For the absolute best dogsledder in Wings history?

Ever heard of Red Kelly? He has more of a "case" than Delvecchio and Abel, but also left on bad terms with Jack Adams.

I am sure a "case" had to be made for every retired number outside of Howe and Yzerman. Do you think those should be the only two numbers in the rafters?

Edited October 15, 2008 by egroen

[Guest Crymson]

Fedorov neither played his whole career here nor carried this team on his back nor made it what it is today, and he was an enormous prima donna at times along the way. No reason to retire his jersey.

[egroen 384]

Fedorov neither played his whole career here nor carried this team on his back nor made it what it is today, and he was an enormous prima donna at times along the way. No reason to retire his jersey.

Not even Howe played his entire career with the Wings.

Do you think #19 is the only one that deserves to be in the rafters?

[mannysBETTER3434 1]

He was a really great player when he was here, but see no reason to retire #91. Kind of like #14

Great research though!!

Edited October 15, 2008 by mannysBETTER3434

[superstarsingh 23]

Fedorov does not deserve to be in such exclusive company.

[JayUp88 1]

This comes up all the time.

He was/is a great player but he moved on. We have to let him move on too. There are many players that deserve to have their numbers retired.

Vladdy

Ozzie

Feds

Kelly

Chelli

lets not forget that Chris has played more years here then in the hawks or canadians

[Shaman 713]

Id say no if only because the Wings have had so many great players come through their system youd need to start giving out 1/2 and 2/5 for numbers soon, Lids in the next number to be raised and after that maybe dats or zetts.

[Chunkylover 26]

Eventually 14, 91, and maybe even 16, 24, and 30 will end up in the rafters. Illitch won't be around forever and the Wings could hit a low point and need things like retirement ceremonies to get interest.

All these players will have had a positive impact on the team and while they aren't instant inductions like 5, 9, and 19 a solid argument can clearly be made for all of them.

Additionally all of them except Vladdy will be Hall of Famers.

[Duck Guy 86]

This comes up all the time.

He was/is a great player but he moved on. We have to let him move on too. There are many players that deserve to have their numbers retired.

Vladdy

Ozzie

Feds

Kelly

Chelli

lets not forget that Chris has played more years here then in the hawks or canadians

i dont think Cheli will get his # retired in DET.. it will either be in Chicago or MTL that is just what i think

Edited October 15, 2008 by Duck Guy

[donfishmaster 62]

This comes up all the time.

He was/is a great player but he moved on. We have to let him move on too. There are many players that deserve to have their numbers retired.

Vladdy

Ozzie

Feds

Kelly

Chelli

lets not forget that Chris has played more years here then in the hawks or canadians

Number 5 should be retired next. No questions asked. Period. THE END.

[sagnam 0]

lets not forget that Chris has played more years here then in the hawks or canadians

Yes, but he didn't play his best years here.

I'm on the fence. Federov was a great player in Detroit but I do see the box that retiring his number would open.

Of the guys you listed I think Federov is the most deserving.

As for Vladimir, I like the unofficial retirement of his number, similar to #6.

[RainingBlood 8]

how about when Budd Lynch retires they put his name on a banner and a microphone where the number would go, and then the years he was the pa announcer.

[egroen 384]

He was a really great player when he was here, but see no reason to retire #91. Kind of like #14

Great research though!!

Thanks, but I think #91 is on a much higher level than #14.

Chelios' accomplishments as a Wing pale in comparison to his accomplishments with Chicago and even Montreal.

Number 5 should be retired next. No questions asked. Period. THE END.

I vote for #4 and then finally re-retire #6 (which is just shameful, if you ask me)... Lidstrom is not even retired yet.

Osgood at the very least needs another Cup and to beat more of Sawchuk's records to even be considered. Sawchuk is currently the only goalie up there and is ten times the goalie Osgood ever has been.

Based on a lot of the poster's criteria here for not inducting Fedorov, all of Abel, Lindsay, Sawchuk and Delvecchio would not be in the rafters today.

I'm on the fence. Federov was a great player in Detroit but I do see the box that retiring his number would open.

What box would it open? Who comes even close to accomplishing what Fedorov accomplished as a Red Wing and is not already up there? Kelly? Yes, and he should already be up there.

Edited October 15, 2008 by egroen

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

Vlad's # will always be unofficial retired but will never hang from the rafters

Chelios will get niether

Osgood will have to wait till he retires a Wing then look at the credentials

Fedorov's # needs to be up there .. no discussion needed

[HenryMalredo 2]

I don't see why Chelios' name even enters teh conversation. A great player and a future HHoFer, who's played a long time with the Wings, but he was rarely an impact player during his time with Detroit.

[russianswede919293 95]

To me I would love that for Feds, but I don't see it happening. I just dont think the relationship from team to player and player to team is there.

As for Ozzie, He is #2 in every career statistic behind Sawchuk, and he will most likely pass him in others...would have had he not been behind Legace and Hasek for three years, which shows loyalty as well as talent and success...that is a man who deserves eternal glory in the Wings rafters.

[egroen 384]

5 players from the 50s dynasty are currently in the rafters:

Howe, Sawchuk, Lindsay, Abel and Delvecchio

Certainly well deserved, but this was not the only period of great success in the Red Wings history, and this fact should be represented in the rafters.

Edited October 15, 2008 by egroen

[russianswede919293 95]

5 players from the 50s dynasty are currently in the rafters:

Howe, Sawchuk, Lindsay, Abel and Delvecchio

Certainly well deserved, but this was not the only period of great success in the Red Wings history, and this fact should be represented in the rafters.

Yzerman (already in), Lidstrom are locks, and Feds, Ozzie are pushes...nobody else from this current "dynasty" is yet rafter worthy

[Slave 31]

91 can't be retired, then i need a new # in nhl09

seriously though, i think his number should be up in the rafters, he did things in the redwing uniform that are well deserving of it.. if bourque can be retired in colorado...well that is not a fair comparison cuz no way we are gonna retire robitaille and hull. but yeah rambling now but Feds deserves it alot more then #14

[betterREDthandead 58]

I am sure a "case" had to be made for every retired number outside of Howe and Yzerman. Do you think those should be the only two numbers in the rafters?

Can you find anyone who thinks #'s 1, 7, 9, 10, 12, and 19 don't belong? Anyone at all? I doubt it.

Meantime, can you find anyone who thinks #91 doesn't belong? Oh yes you can.

No Wings fan should ever go to the arena and look at any of the banners there and think any of them don't belong. It taints the rest of them.

[Louisville 112]

I don't understand the point of unofficial retired numbers, as such is the case for 6 and 16.

If no one is going to touch those numbers then why not raise the banner already?

Edited October 15, 2008 by Louisville

[jawbreaker 0]

I would retire #91, but it won't happen (at least in the near future).

I doubt that we will see some young kid, who will have the balls to ask #91. Plus, I bet that #91 is also unofficial retired, so we won't see it in a long time on the Wings jersey.