Fedorov inducted into Michigan Sports Hall of Fame

[Cursed Lemon]

Never understood the hatred he received. Helped the wings win 3 cups. Took less money to leave as a **** you to the Illitchs for low balling him in the earlier years. How can you boo a guy that was one of the pillars in 3 champions and over a decade of world class play? Fans are dumb...

Fedorov was NOT getting low-balled.

 

[Claypool]

It would never happen after burning that bridge.

You mean the same bridge he's using to play in alumni games and to join Ken Holland at Red Wings' playoff games? The relationship between Fedorov and the Red Wings is healing right now. Next year he and Lidstrom will join the hall of fame, then his jersey will be retired soon after. And yes, I believe that if Fedorov wanted to join the Red Wings management in some capacity they'd highly consider him.

 

[GrafSk8r12]

I actually spelled it right but went back and spelled incorrectly when I seen how the post I quoted spelled it

Ahh, so it's all tsbilly's fault

 

[Overclass*]

Glad for Feds. True sports icon and one of the most talented players ever to put on the wheel. I think most fans were hurt when he left but it's time for bygones to be bygones. I know he doesn't meet the usual criteria for retiring wings numbers but if there was an exception to be made, I would want it to be made for him. Wish him nothing but the best.

Fedorov was NOT getting low-balled.

IIRC Fedorov and Holland agreed to a 50 million dollar deal but when Fedorov came to sign it in person the contract was revised for less term and 40 million.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Glad for Feds. True sports icon and one of the most talented players ever to put on the wheel. I think most fans were hurt when he left but it's time for bygones to be bygones. I know he doesn't meet the usual criteria for retiring wings numbers but if there was an exception to be made, I would want it to be made for him. Wish him nothing but the best.



IIRC Fedorov and Holland agreed to a 50 million dollar deal but when Fedorov came to sign it in person the contract was revised for less term and 40 million.

Yeah we are in the memory bank here. My recollection is that he was given a 50 million dollar deal in season asked for time and that contract always had a time limit on him. That time limit passed and was pulled from the table. They came back with the 40 million dollar offer in the off-season. Fedorov who was in the midst of incredible personal off ice difficulty again asked for time. Was shocked that the offer had dropped that much, but after some time without the guise that this one in fact had a deadline said okay I guess that is it. That is when he found out it had then been dropped to 36 million?

He did see three contract offers. I believe it was the second one where things truly broke down. He was in the middle of a divorce, one where his significant other basically left him for Enrique Inglesias quite publicly. This after he basically took a match to his relationship with Pavel Bure one of his best friends from Russia just to be with her. Now that we have the TMZ out of the way. He was also being robbed by his money manger. He was getting bad advice from virtually everyone around him. He wanted time, he also wanted time to stomach the 10 million he had already lost. He wasn't given the same mandate in terms of this is an offer for just today or this week like the first contract. At least that is what he inferred when speaking on it later.

After swallowing his pride and coming back to the table, Ilitch again pulled money from the offer. It is a shame, people can say Fedorov should have accepted the first offer and was crazy not to do it. Life isn't always so easy though and ultimately I don't feel any scorn for Fedorov feeling betrayed or cheated in terms of the three offers constantly devaluing. Certainly the second one really fell apart poisoning the relationship. Whether that was always Ilitch's intention given he signed an offer sheet with his arch-enemy Karmanos or not cannot be sure. They also knew the big lockout was coming by that point and I think that had a lot to do with the guess work that kept dropping his contract. But still that negotiation was brutal.

Glad to see him get this honor, I hope they put his jersey in the rafters. Always loved Fedorov, was extremely disappointed he was not a lifer in a Wings jersey.

 

[Actual Thought*]

Glad for Feds. True sports icon and one of the most talented players ever to put on the wheel. I think most fans were hurt when he left but it's time for bygones to be bygones. I know he doesn't meet the usual criteria for retiring wings numbers but if there was an exception to be made, I would want it to be made for him. Wish him nothing but the best.



IIRC Fedorov and Holland agreed to a 50 million dollar deal but when Fedorov came to sign it in person the contract was revised for less term and 40 million.

Holland doesn't negotiate in the media. I think most of that kind of stuff is media speculation and agent "leaks".

I think Fedorov's agent blew it in the RFA negotiations. The Wings came out looking like heros and Fedorov came off looking like a jerk that was good at hockey. Had he quietly hammered out a deal his relationship with the Wings and Detroit would have been much better. He could of retired as a Wing had a very strong brand for the rest of his life even long after hockey much like Lidstrom. Hard to put a price tag on being a legend.

 

[Satrebil]

Holland doesn't negotiate in the media. I think most of that kind of stuff is media speculation and agent "leaks".

I think Fedorov's agent blew it in the RFA negotiations. The Wings came out looking like heros and Fedorov came off looking like a jerk that was good at hockey. Had he quietly hammered out a deal his relationship with the Wings and Detroit would have been much better. He could of retired as a Wing had a very strong brand for the rest of his life even long after hockey much like Lidstrom. Hard to put a price tag on being a legend.

I don't recall, was it Pat Brisson?

 

[Frk It]

http://www.nicholsonhockey.com/wort...ells-friedman-becoming-nhl-gm-is-on-his-radar

 

[Brodie]

I could actually see Feds in Columbus as an AGM for a little bit, or as a European scout for us if he wants to start climbing the ranks a little bit lower on the totem pole.

I think once he's inducted in the HHOF, we'll see his jersey in the rafters

 

[Satrebil]

http://www.nicholsonhockey.com/wort...ells-friedman-becoming-nhl-gm-is-on-his-radar

Ken Holland, watch out.

 

[Heaton]

Good for Sergei.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

IIRC Fedorov and Holland agreed to a 50 million dollar deal but when Fedorov came to sign it in person the contract was revised for less term and 40 million.

I am aware of the shenanigans involving the contract negotiation, but the fact of the matter is that by the time that contract was getting discussed, Fedorov had scored 60-ish points for four straight years (then did manage to score 83 in the last year). He was not the same 120 point Selke/Hart winning player that would've commanded so much money.

 

[Brodie]

I also believe that Sergei being traded to Columbus hurt him as far as fan perception. Seeing him on a division rival (not by his own choice, but still) hurt.

 

[waltdetroit]

Retire his jersey

Quote from Adam Kirshenblatt, hockeybuzz

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Adam-Kirshenblatt/Making-the-Case-Sergei-Fedorov/84/67814

Steve Yzerman said it best when it comes to Fedorov, “I’ve only seen two other players that can dominate a game like Sergei, and that’s Wayne and Mario… in my opinion, he’s the best player in the league. He is different than Wayne and Mario because he dominates with his speed and unbelieveable one-on-one moves.” To continue with that sentiment, his former coach, Scotty Bowman said “I talked to Wayne Gretzky… and he said to me: I couldn’t play forward and defence. Mario couldn’t do it. Jagr couldn’t play defense. But Sergei Could. He was a hell of a player.”

 

[icKx]

I am aware of the shenanigans involving the contract negotiation, but the fact of the matter is that by the time that contract was getting discussed, Fedorov had scored 60-ish points for four straight years (then did manage to score 83 in the last year). He was not the same 120 point Selke/Hart winning player that would've commanded so much money.

Points be damned, he was a consistent 30+ goal scorer and two-way shutdown center in the deepest quagmire of the DPE playing for maybe the most demanding coach of all time.

Do you hold point totals against D & Z? Or is it playoff performances and defense that is the metric?

 

[The Wizard of Oz]

I agree and will go further.

The top players then are better than the top players now.

Federov, Sundin, Yzerman, Sakic, Forsberg, Bure, Hull, Lidstom, Bourque, Hasek, Roy were just plain better than the best players today Crosby, Ovechkin, Stamkos, Getzlaf, Towes, Weber, Suter, Keith, Rinne, Lundqvist.

Comparing the lists I'd say the new era is very top heavy. Crosby, Ovi, and Stamkos are supreme talents but the rest can't hold a candle to the depth of stars in the 90s. It's too bad most of those guys had to play during an era (97-2004) that suffocated their skill. (I'll save the discussion on today's lack of scoring as it's too off-topic)

As for Sergei going up in the rafters it's a no brainer on paper. We simply don't win 3 cups without him and Yzerman's legacy might be a lot different today. He was the best defensive forward in the NHL, won an MVP, and was consistently a big time playoff performer. I'm glad personal grudges are not being held.

 

[The Wizard of Oz]

Points be damned, he was a consistent 30+ goal scorer and two-way shutdown center in the deepest quagmire of the DPE playing for maybe the most demanding coach of all time.

Do you hold point totals against D & Z? Or is it playoff performances and defense that is the metric?

But it is true he had some down years in the regular season but he still stepped it up when it counted. I wonder if anyone could shed some light on what they think was going on (and not the easy answers). As for after he left Detroit he did fine on a talent depleted Ducks team, but Columbus was another story. I don't know why but he spent a lot of time on that dumpster fire of a team. He also battled injuries. His production went up in his twilight years when he got to play with real talent on the Caps.

 

[Retire91]

I think putting his number in the rafters is a slam dunk. He spent his prime career here and is one of the most unique players to ever play in the NHL let alone for the wings. His game is so underrated by those that didn't see him play and only have stats to go by. The man was the most complete player to ever play. He had elite everything, hockey IQ, speed, shot, hands, paired with some of the best defensive skills the team has ever seen. Guy even played Defense for a season and probably should have won the Norris. The most prolific scorer of the famed Russian 5, a bookshelf full of individual awards and the cups the team won. Time will mend the contract disputes and the right thing will be done. I could even see him in the front office at some point.

 

[WingsFan95]

Raise #91 to the rafters!

For those of us who got to watch his entire career, there will never be another player like him in our lifetime. As great as Datsyuk and Zetterberg are offensively, Federov was better. As great as Datsyuk and Zetterberg are defensively, Federov was better.

Federov was a straight up beast of a hockey player. He won the "fastest skater" competition and the "hardest shot competition" (not in the same year, but who cares?) at the all star game. I'm pretty sure that will not happen again.

People rag on him because of the contract situations and the perceived lack of effort.

The contracts I can see being an issue, but he was obviously bad at that. See his non-hockey investments if you want more detail on his economic ineptitude. This is not a hockey-related issue.

The effort? He made it look easy when he was dominating the best players in the world and people are upset when he did the same during losses, which were few and far between during his era. Did you see his goal against Roy during game 7? The definition of "nonchalant" is Federov during that goal, in game 7.

By the standards the Wings organization has set, I don't think his number should be retired. It's essentially for captains or all-time players which I don't think Fedorov quite fits into.

You're really looking at 3 impressive seasons and then a few more good ones. He was great defensively and scored goals but still part of the team cog.

Datsyuk has been more integral I feel and Zetterberg could get the nod if he continues to captain into his 40s.

 

[Claypool]

By the standards the Wings organization has set, I don't think his number should be retired. It's essentially for captains or all-time players which I don't think Fedorov quite fits into.

lol, Fedorov is an all-time player.