Red Wings Retired Number History: Honoring Decades Of Success

The Detroit Red Wings will retire the franchise's ninth jersey number this winter, when Sergei Fedorov's No. 91 uniform dons the rafters. Who will Fedorov join in the hallowed air of retired Red Wings numbers?

Terry Sawchuk backstopped Detroit during its golden years, winning three Stanley Cups with the Red Wings. He played through brutal workloads and constant pressure yet still delivered calm, steady brilliance in the net. Sawchuk earned three Vezina Trophies during his time in Detroit, reflecting how often he carried the team in big moments. His toughness, acrobatic style, and championship presence made him the defining Red Wings goaltender long before masks became standard.

Red Kelly sparked Motor City to four Stanley Cups while becoming one of the most adaptable stars in National Hockey League history. After starting out as a defenseman, Kelly switched to center and thrived on forward lines. Kelly won the first Norris Trophy ever awarded in 1954. His ability to read plays, control tempo, and shine in any role made him one of Detroit's most important players during the original-six team's early dynasty.

Nicklas Lidstrom spent an incredible 20 seasons in Detroit, one of the longest career stretches of any modern sports superstar with one professional club. A feared presence with a cannon from the blue line, Lidstrom totaled 264 goals and 1,142 points for the Red Wings and helped lead the way to four Stanley Cup championships. Lidstrom earned no less than seven Norris Trophies and one Conn Smythe Trophy.

Forward Ted Lindsay brought loads of passion to Detroit's earliest dynasty, helping the Red Wings win four Stanley Cup titles in a feat that Lidstrom matched but did not surpass. Toiling on the Red Wings' famed "Production Line" with Gordie Howe and Sid Abel, Lindsay scaled the NHL's scoring charts and earned a reputation for overpowering bigger opponents. Off the ice, he helped organize the NHLPA, adding a major legacy beyond hockey and shaping the league as he had shaped the Red Wings.

Howe's immutable legacy includes a quarter-century of dominance for the Red Wings, winning four Stanley Cups with Detroit and becoming one of the most decorated players in history. Howe earned six Hart Trophy and six Art Ross Trophy awards, pacing the NHL in goal production. Howe's unmatched blend of skill and longevity made him the model for the complete ice hockey player. “Mr. Hockey” scored 786 of his 801 NHL goals for the Red Wings.

Like Lidstrom, centerman Alex Delvecchio spent his entire career in Detroit, winning three Stanley Cups and becoming one of pro hockey's most durable players along the way. The Michigan native tallied 825 assists over a surreal span of two and a half decades, thanks in part to centering Hall of Fame stars of more than one generation. Delvecchio won three Lady Byng Trophies, reflecting a sportsmanlike style.

Sid Abel powered much of Detroit's early success, helping the Red Wings win three Stanley Cups that included two championship triumphs in his last three seasons with the franchise. While centering the original "Production Line" with Howe and Lindsay, Abel won the Hart Trophy in 1949. Abel's clever playmaking was a forerunner of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux's styles of a future era.

Steve Yzerman guided Detroit out of the “Dead Wings” era into another streak of success, captaining the Red Wings in three Stanley Cup championship runs. The 1998 Conn Smythe Trophy winner began as a high-scoring playmaker before reinventing himself as a veteran, becoming one of the league's best two-way centers. When he scored this memorable goal against St. Louis, Yzerman's career with the Detroit Red Wings was still just in its first phase.

Yzerman is yet another player with a retired Red Wings uniform who spent 20-plus years toiling faithfully for the club. Detroit's current general manager is in his second stint as an executive for his old team.

Sergei Fedorov electrified Detroit in the 1990s, winning three Stanley Cups while earning the mantle of one of the NHL's most complete players. His two-way dominance earned him the Hart Trophy in 1994 and a pair of Selke Award trophies as the league's best defensive forward in 1994 and 1996. 

Fedorov's speed, versatility, and patience made him a nightmare for opposing defense corps. The Russian icon's upcoming number retirement at Little Caesars Arena on Jan. 12 has an even greater meaning due to the international theme of the 2025-26 NHL season. Fedorov retired as a player in 2013, having tallied 1,179 points in the league and 57 more points in 64 appearances with the "Red Machine" of Russia. He earned World Championship gold medals, won silver and bronze medals at the Olympic level, and performed as the oldest men's ice hockey skater at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Who could be next to have their number retired by the Detroit Red Wings? If Dylan Larkin leads Detroit hockey throughout the 2020s, his presence on Team USA could give the Red Wings' 10th retired uniform celebration a whole new international theme. But when an original-six organization has retired merely eight numbers since its inception, you have to believe that skaters like Larkin have a long way to go.