Sergei Fedorov won’t be the only Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup winner to have his jersey retired next month. In fact, he’ll be the second former Wing to see his number hoisted into the rafters in January.
On January 10, Finnish club Jokerit will be retiring the No. 51 that Valtteri Filppula wore for the club. He also wore the same number for the Red Wings from 2005-13, and again from 2019-21.
The retirement will take place at Jokerit’s Veikkaus Arena on January 10, 2026, before a game against TUTO Hockey. Two nights later at Little Caesars Arena, Fedorov’s No. 91 will go up in the rafters before Detroit’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Valtteri Filppula is calling it a career after 1,056 NHL games! 🫡 pic.twitter.com/X3Gor3UARJ
— NHL (@NHL) April 29, 2025
Following last season, Filppula announced his retirement as a player. He made a triumphant return to Jokerit for the 2024-25 season. Filppula was the team captain and led the club to the Mestis (Finnish Second Division) title.
“Last season showed how big a Jokerit heart Valtteri has,” Jokerit chairman Mikko Saarni said on the club’s website. “He came to play in the Mestis and help Jokerit just when he was needed the most.
Valtteri Filppula: paita kattoon – Jokerit-pomolta hurja väite! https://t.co/zHPdUKfz5Y #liiga #mestis
— Leijonat.com (@leijonat_com) December 12, 2025
“Valtteri’s return enabled us to implement our plans on the original schedule. His athletic contribution and presence in the team were enormously important, even so crucial that, in light of current information, they formed a key factor in our being able to apply for a league license for next season.
“The fact that he returned to the club as a player who has won the titles that everyone dreams of in his career speaks of exceptional loyalty to the club. He is a role model whose values and attitude will leave a lasting mark on our club.”
Filppula Won Stanley Cup With Red Wings in 2007-08
Filppula is a member of the Triple Gold Club. He captained Finland to an Olympic gold medal (2022) and an IIHF World Championship title (2022) to go with the 2007-08 Stanley Cup he won with the Red Wings.
He also added a European Champions League title with Swiss Club Servette Geneva in 2024. Filppula is the only player in hockey history to win all four of those titles.
Filppula will be the eighth Jokerit player to have his number retired.