Sergei Fedorov at peace with Red Wings, talks potential return

It certainly was a messy divorce, but it appears to be mending.

Sergei Fedorov, one of the most dynamic players in hockey history and a 3-time Stanley Cup champion, bolted from the Detroit Red Wings to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the summer of 2003 after 13 years in Hockeytown.

Upon his return to Joe Louis Arena in December of 2003, he was mercilessly booed by the Red Wings faithful every time he touched the puck, and was viewed as an enemy.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing during his time in the Winged Wheel, either. Fedorov had also nearly left shortly after Detroit’s 1997 Stanley Cup win when he signed a major offer-sheet from the Carolina Hurricanes that was soon matched.

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But in recent years, the fractured relationship between Fedorov and the Red Wings appears to have healed. He once again donned the Red Wings jersey for the team alumni game prior to the 2014 Winter Classic, as well as 2017 NHL Centennial Classic Alumni Game. Both times, he was warmly received by Red Wings fans in the crowd. He also dropped the ceremonial first puck prior to a game against the Washington Capitals in 2015, again to a warm reception.

“I’m really at peace, one way or the other,” he said in regards to his current standing with the organization.

“It was just an unbelievable time. It was good for everybody – fans, players, management, ownership.”

Could Fedorov ever return to a front office position with the Red Wings and once again join forces with Steve Yzerman?

“It’s a great question I can only fantasize about,” Fedorov said. “You never know – that’s the first answer.”

After his retirement from the NHL, he finished his playing career in his native Russia before taking over in 2012 as general manager of CSKA Moscow.

As for Steve Yzerman’s return to the Red Wings as GM?

“He’s back where he belongs,” Fedorov said. “Everybody knows that.”