Michigan has been buzzing ever since the announcement that the Detroit Red Wings would be retiring Sergei Federov’s jersey number 91 in January 2026. Sergei will have his jersey number retired alongside the former retirees Terry Sawchuk (#1), Red Kelly (#4), Nicklas Lidström (#5), Ted Lindsay (#7), Gordie Howe (#9), Alex Delvecchio (#10), Sid Abel (#12), Steve Yzerman (#19), making him the 9th person to have his jersey retired.
Recently, an interview was conducted with him in Russia, where he discussed various topics, including his take on his former teammates, some stories from his own fights, and the fines that came with them. He was also asked about his take on enforcers.
Enforcers were typically the big tough guys on the team who would get into fights and handle the business on the ice. During the interview, one of the guys he’s talking to asks:
So what’s your take, is it good or bad for the game that we’ve lost that old school enforcer class?
Getty Images/NHLI
Getty Images/NHLI
Federov responded:
Me, I think it’s a bad thing. See, those guys, first of all they had a code. The policed the game. It was honest, it was between them. But if some guy took a run at your skilled players, your top guys, doesn’t matter which team, they’d be like, “No, no, no buddy.” And they wouldn’t jump the guy who did it. They’d settle it with the other enforcer. To me that was a solid coat of honor. I think that was the right way to do it.
The Detroit Red Wings were known to have two of the toughest guys in the NHL in Bob Probert and Joey Kocur. Even guys like Vladimir Konstantinov were a force to be reckoned with on the ice.
Do you feel like enforcers should make a return to the game? You can watch the full interview below.
Former Red Wing Darren McCarty Opens Grindtime Wrestling Academy
Former Red Wing Darren McCarty Opens Grindtime Wrestling Academy
Every Sweater Number in Detroit Red Wings History Worn Just Once (Or Not At All)
For whatever reason, these numbers have either been worn just once or never at all in the nearly 100-year history of Detroit Red Wings hockey, according to Hockey Reference.
(Hockey Reference suggests that No. 6 was only worn by Cummy Burton, which is incorrect as Larry Aurie wore the number first and the number is pseudo-retired. Such inaccuracies are difficult to narrow down, so where they can be corrected they will be.)
Gallery Credit: Jacob Harrison