Motown's center of attention: Howe, Yzerman, Fedorov … after 12 seasons in Detroit, the Russian has reached iconic status in Hockeytown - Interview: Sergei Fedorov

Hockey Digest, Summer, 2002 by Karl Samuelson

IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION about the impact Sergei Fedorov has made on the game of hockey, just consider the facts. The gifted Russian is fourth on the Detroit Red Wings' all-time scoring list, just behind Motor City hockey icons Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, and Alex Delvecchio. He is third on the team's all-time playoff production list with 141 points in 135 playoff contests through 2001. His 11 game-winning goals in 1995-96 erased the old team record held for 60 years by Carson Cooper.

Fedorov completed the greatest single season of any Red Wing in 1993-94, winning the Hart (MVP), Selke (top defensive forward), and Pearson (NHLPA MVP) Trophies. Three years later, he was instrumental in ending Detroit's 40-year Stanley Cup drought. His phenomenal career was in full gear until a prolonged contract dispute alienated the soft-spoken star in 1997-98. He returned, however, just in time to lead the Red Wings to their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship.

Although he hasn't cracked the century barrier in points since 1995-96, few players can match the excitement quotient of No. 91 in full flight. Blessed with uncanny offensive skills that rival those of any other player in the league, Fedorov can turn on a dime and give you a nickel change. The 32-year-old center has a well-earned reputation as one the most complete hockey players in the league.

"Sergei is one of the best two-way players in the NHL," says Detroit GM Ken Holland. "He hasn't gotten the proper respect the last two or three years [because] his point totals were not as high as they could have been.

"Sergei hasn't gotten the ice time other top guys have had. But he has great speed, great vision, and adds a great dimension with his ability to hack people off.

"The one thing I really like about Sergei is if he's not doing it offensively, you know that he is doing it defensively. He's a guy you can play against the other team's top line and he neutralizes them. When Sergei is on the ice, we usually have the puck."

Fedorov is a proud product of the Russian hockey system--the same training ground that produced teammate Igor Larionov. "Sergei is proud of his hockey heritage," says former Detroit coach Bryan Murray, now the bench boss with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. "When I coached him in Detroit, the one thing we often talked about was how the Russian players are developed. We discussed what they did daily in practice--the one-on-ones, two-on-twos--and I took a lot of that and put it into my thinking as a coach.

"Sergei made a big commitment when he was a young player to move to Moscow and become an elite player and then move his family to North America. Sergei is a real competitive guy, a real battler. Not only does he get points and help his team win because of his production, but he helps them win because he is such a great defender."

We sat down with Fedorov just as the Red Wings were finishing up a regular season in which they seemingly sewed up a playoff spot by Christmas day. As a member of the 1995-96 Wings, who won an NHL record 62 games only to lose to file Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference finals, Fedorov knows all too well that regular-season success doesn't mean a thing without the ring. In addition to discussing the importance of winning the Stanley Cup, Fedorov talked about his storied NHL career and the future of hockey in his native Russia.

HOCKEY DIGEST: You were showered with awards after the 1993-94 season. You became the first European to win the Hart, Selke, and Pearson Trophies. Were you caught off-guard by all the notoriety?

SERGEI FEDOROV: I really never expected it. I won those awards and it was tremendous for myself, my family, and the owners of the Red Wings--Mike and Marian Ilitch--and it was such a great time at the [awards] banquet. It was a very exciting time in my life.

HD: Your former teammate Martin Lapointe describes you as a superstar who doesn't act like one because you are so down-to-earth. Are you consciously respectful of others?

SF: I guess I am conscious of it. I understand where the media is coming from and where the fans are coming from, and as far as I am concerned, [kindness] is a big part of the business. But I simply respect people. It doesn't matter if the person is a fan, a journalist, or a stranger who doesn't even know who you are. It's very important to have respect for the other guy.

HD: When did it all start for you as a player, and what are your earliest recollections of Sergei Fedorov the hockey player?

SF: I started playing hockey in 1978, when I was eight or nine years old. I recall that I was always a good skater. I sometimes skated four or five hours a day with different teams. When I played on my regular team, I was a center who tried to score at every opportunity. Around the same time, the coaches stressed that I should come back and help out the defense. As a center in Russia, your job is to try and tie the knot between the offense and defense.

When I had a chance to play with the older guys, like my father and his team, I saw that a lot. So I was always conscious that I had to come back and help out my defense. Russian coaches stressed that the center has to be the middle guy between the offense and defense, and I always remember that.