Red Wings to retire Fedorov's No. 91

Sergei Fedorov's No. 91 is heading to the rafters at Little Caesars Arena.

The Detroit Red Wings will retire his number in a pregame ceremony Jan. 12 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

"We are honored to celebrate Sergei Fedorov and raise his No. 91 to its rightful place hanging in the rafters at Little Caesars Arena, among the all-time greats who have worn the Winged Wheel," Red Wings governor and CEO Chris Ilitch said. "His exceptional skill, relentless drive, and lasting impact playing a pivotal role bringing three Stanley Cup championships to Detroit make him the perfect embodiment of the qualities deserving of our franchise's most prestigious honor."

Fedorov spent 13 of his 18 NHL seasons in the Motor City, winning three Stanley Cups (1997-98, 2002), two Selke Trophies (1994, 1996) and a Hart Trophy (1994).

He ranks fourth in franchise history in goals (400), sixth in points (954), and second in plus/minus (276) in 908 games in a Red Wings uniform. Fedorov also added 163 points in 162 playoff games with Detroit.

"I'm extremely grateful for this tremendous honor," Fedorov said. "Thank you to everyone with the Red Wings organization, especially those who helped bring me to Detroit and gave me the chance to play for such a historic franchise. I was fortunate to be part of some unforgettable teams, and above all, I'm proud of the three Stanley Cup championships we won for our amazing fans in Hockeytown."

Fedorov was one of the first NHLers to defect from the Soviet Union. He was part of Detroit's fabled "Russian Five" during the 1990s alongside Igor Larionov, Slava Kozlov, Slava Fetisov, and Vladimir Konstantinov - a prolific five-man unit that changed the perception of Russian players and helped revolutionize the game by valuing puck possession.

The Red Wings drafted Fedorov in the fourth round in 1989. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.