Red Wings retire Sergei Fedorov's No. 91 jersey and he says leaving Detroit was a huge mistake

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings retired Sergei Fedorov's No. 91 jersey, honoring the Russian great more than a decade after he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

“Detroit is home, always been — no matter where I was,” he said Monday night.

Fedorov left the city in 2003, signing with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Five years earlier, as a restricted free agent, he signed an offer sheet to play for the Carolina Hurricanes, but the Red Wings matched the offer and he stayed in Detroit.

“Leaving Detroit when I did was a huge mistake," the 56-year-old Fedorov said during a pregame ceremony before Detroit hosted Carolina. “That is on me.”

The dynamic, two-way center became the ninth player to have his jersey retired by the Red Wings, joining Hall of Famers Gordie Howe, Nicklas Lidstrom and Steve Yzerman.

The Red Wings drafted Fedorov in the fourth round in 1989, and helped him defect from the Soviet Union in 1990 while he was in country for the Goodwill Games.

After Fedorov got off the team bus in Portland, Oregon, he saw Red Wings executive Jim Lites in the hotel lobby — reading a newspaper as planned — and they slipped out of a side door, into a limousine and onto a private plane.

“I always admired the courage,” said Yzerman, a former teammate and the franchise's current general manager.

Fedorov, who was part of the Red Wings' “Russian Five," which helped Detroit win Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998. He was an All-Star six times over his 13 seasons with the franchise and won a third Stanley Cup in 2002.

He became the first European to win the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 1994. He was the first Red Wing to win the award since Howe in 1963 — and is the last player to win it for the franchise.

“The rare combination of skill, speed and power made him one of the best all-around players in the game’s history,” Yzerman said.

Fedorov went on to play for the Ducks, Columbus and Washington and had 483 goals and 1,179 points over his career.

Fedorov ended his career during the 2008-09 season with the Capitals, playing with fellow Russian and Olympic teammate Alex Ovechkin.

“One of the best players I've ever played with,” Ovechkin said in a video tribute.

Fedorov was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, his first year of eligibility.

The Red Wings retired Yzerman's and Lidstrom's jerseys shortly after they retired, but their ownership was more deliberate about sealing Fedorov's legacy with franchise.

Fedorov said he was humbled to earn a place alongside “those legends” near the roof in Little Caesars Arena.

“It's surreal — in the best way,” he said, choking up.

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CORRECTS TO SERGEI FEDOROV NOT SERGEI FEDEROV - Former Detroit Red Wings player Sergei Fedorov, left, waves to fans during his jersey retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

CORRECTS TO SERGEI FEDOROV NOT SERGEI FEDEROV - Former Detroit Red Wings player Sergei Fedorov, right, stands with his wife Karina, left, and children Alexandra and Viktor during his jersey retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

CORRECTS TO SERGEI FEDOROV NOT SERGEI FEDEROV - Former Detroit Red Wings player Sergei Fedorov reacts during his jersey retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Former Detroit Red Wings player Sergei Federov watches during his jersey retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

CORRECTS TO SERGEI FEDOROV NOT SERGEI FEDEROV - Former Detroit Red Wings player Sergei Fedorov, right, stands with his wife Karina, left, and children Alexandra, second from left, and Viktor, second from right, during his jersey retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michigan overpowered Arizona early and humbled the ’Cats all night long, turning the Final Four meeting billed as the Game of the Year into a 91-73 Wolverines highlight reel Saturday night.

Junior center Aday Mara scored a career-high 26 points and had nine rebounds, a dinged-up Yaxel Lendeborg had 11 points in 14 minutes and the Blue blew through their fifth straight March Madness opponent by double digits while becoming the first team to break 90 points five times in a single tournament.

Next up, a title matchup Monday against UConn, a 71-62 winner over Illinois in the early semifinal that was billed — wrongly — as the undercard to this battle of No. 1 seeds.

Michigan and Arizona came in with the nation’s top two defenses, a pair of top-five offenses and somewhere between eight and a dozen NBA stars between them.

But it was the Wolverines (36-3) who looked like pros, running to a double-digit lead only 5:31 into the contest, then swatting and slamming Arizona into oblivion.

Koa Peat had a quiet 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Big 12 champion Wildcats (36-3). They shot 6 for 17 from 3, 36% overall and had two assists and nine turnovers over a first half that ended with them trailing 48-32. Sparkplug Jaden Bradley got his fourth foul 94 seconds into the second half and finished with 13 points, most in extended garbage time.

Arizona’s only two losses before this were by four and by three back in February. They trailed by nine less than 2:30 into this one.

Michigan packed the paint on defense, basically giving the team that averaged the fifth-fewest 3 attempts in the country this year free rein from long distance, then daring Arizona to create inside. The Wilcats failed at both.

Even more impressive for Michigan was that it started this runaway without (maybe) its best player, Lendeborg, who committed two fouls within five seconds of each other less than 90 seconds into the game, then landed on Motiejus Krivas’ foot a little later and went to the locker room for ice.

Lendeborg returned and made two quick 3s early in the second half to push the lead past 20. He was on the bench — and the stationary bike — for good with 7:10 left, plenty of time for rest and ice to get ready for UConn, which is going for its third title in four years.

Michigan is going for only the program’s second championship (1989), though its most famous team — the Fab Five, which made the final twice in the early ’90s — was in the building to helm an “alt-cast” of this Michigan celebration.

Some of this — the dunks, the alley-oops, the rim hanging and jersey tugging (but no baggy shorts) — might have reminded them of them.

Freshman Trey McKenny made four 3s and had 16 points for the Wolverines. Elliot Cadeau overcame a bout with his nut allergy to compile a crazy stat line: 13 points, 10 assists, six turnovers, five rebounds and four steals on 5-for-17 shooting. Even with that, Michigan finished 47.8% from the floor and 12 for 27 from 3.

About the only drama down the stretch was whether coach Dusty May’s team would join Jerry Tarkanian’s 1990 UNLV juggernaut as only the second team to hit triple digits at the Final Four in the modern era.

The Wolverines emptied the bench with a few minutes left and came up short, but no matter. Everybody knew who the better team was in this one — that it got figured out so early was the real shock.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Michigan's Will Tschetter (42) and Elliot Cadeau (3) celebrate during the second half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan's Elliot Cadeau reacts during the first half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau (3) celebrates a basket against Arizona during the second half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Michigan center Aday Mara (15) dunks against Arizona during the second half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Michigan's Aday Mara (15) reacts during the second half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Michigan's Nimari Burnett, left, and Will Tschetter (42) celebrate during the second half of an NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game against Arizona at the Final Four, Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)