Mike Ilitch’s Big Eff You to Sergei Fedorov — Behind the Scenes

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By Jeff Moss
DetroitSportsRag@GMail.com
November 16, 2015

There was only one regular-season Red Wings game that I HAD to attend this year and it was last Tuesday’s tilt versus the Washington Capitals.

And it had nothing to do with my desire to see Alex Ovechkin tire his own arms out by taking 15 shots on goal while dominating the Luke Glendening line.

Nope. I wanted to be at the Joe Louis Arena for the Wings organization’s acknowledgment of Sergei Fedorov’s 2015 Hall of Fame induction. 

When it was announced over the summer that Olympia Entertainment would be honoring Sergei for his first-ballot induction into the shrine in Toronto, I was quite perturbed that Fedorov’s career achievement would not be coupled with his #91 being raised to the rafters of the JLA.

[Editor’s Note: This isn’t going to be the fourth article on this site detailing why Fedorov’s Wings jersey should be hanging alongside those of Howe, Lidstrom, Yzerman, etc. If you want to read that again, click here.]

But I was pacified for the time being by whatever ceremony was scheduled for last Tuesday and by the knowledge that Ken Holland told a free-agent signee that he could not wear #91 in Detroit. Based on those two slices of information, I figured it was just a matter of time before Fedorov would be appropriately feted by the Ilitch Family.

Well, man, was I fucking wrong. As I Tweeted live from my seats last Tuesday, the Fedorov Hall of Fame ceremony was a fucking embarrassment and a HUGE middle finger from the still bitter Mike Ilitch, who clearly hasn’t gotten over Fedorov exiting Detroit ELEVEN YEARS ago.

You’d think being diagnosed with cancer twice — coupled with his Sisyphusian attempt to win a World Series with the Tigers — would make Ilitch more appreciative of Fedorov’s humongous hand in bringing three parades to Woodward Avenue during his 13-year career in Detroit.

Nope. I’d say that the “ceremony” the Ilitch Family bestowed on Fedorov last week was barebones, but that would be way too generous. Because the video of Fedorov dropping the “first puck” between Ovechkin and Henrik Zetterberg wasn’t even shown on Fox Sports Detroit, I will provide you my Periscope of the debacle. It includes me chanting “Retire His Jersey” near the end ….

This is what Fedorov Night amounted to:

1) Fedorov dropping the puck before the game without a member of the Wings organization (Ilitch or otherwise) accompanying him on the ice.

2) Ted Lindsay and Dino Ciccarelli presenting Fedorov with a framed painting that might have cost $500.

3) A short video montage buried during the third period which was neither as emotional nor as long as the montage from Rocky IV. And it sure as shit didn’t include “Heart’s On Fire” by John Cafferty.

Meanwhile, Fedorov handled this personal affront and public humiliation with aplomb, obviously not wanting to say anything that would further enrage the vindictive Walking, Breathing Human Hairpiece that owns the Wings.

But here is the best part of the entire saga. The DSR has learned from two separate sources that, as late as Monday, the Wings had absolutely NOTHING planned for Fedorov.

That the presentation of the artwork by “Terrible Ted” and Ciccarelli wasn’t decided until just hours before Tuesday’s game and it might never have occurred without Ciccarelli’s prodding.

What a fucking joke.

Like, the Ilitch’s put more time and effort into honoring Detroit News Tigers beat writer Tom Gage than a man who helped them win THREE titles. Just think about that for a moment.

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Sitting in my seat, pissed as hell at the distasteful display I was witnessing, I texted a well-connected area sportswriter about the disgusting “ceremony.”

His response? Fedorov’s number will never be retired until after Mike Ilitch is dead.

Welp. I guess I’d better delete this Tweet from earlier this month ….