Red Wings' Sergei Fedorov's jersey retirement ceremony created a bridge to the past with one star present
Photo credit: Sergei Fedorov hugs Steve Yzerman after Yzerman's speech during Sergei Fedorov's jersey retirement ceremony at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.
With Detroit Red Wings legend Sergei Fedorov's jersey retirement ceremony, the bridge to the past was created with one star's presence on the ice.
Not everyone knows who Vladimir Konstantinov is. That's not their fault, as one Detroit Red Wings player on the bench during Sergei Fedorov's jersey retirement ceremony saw the Russian legend on the ice and asked head coach Todd McLellan who the player was in the wheelchair.
His story was reintroduced to a new generation of Red Wings players.
«Who's the guy in the wheelchair?»
An incident turned into a learning moment for someone who was born long after the Stanley Cup champion banners were lifted in Joe Louis Arena.
The history of Konstantinov was tied to the Red Wings' winning culture established in the nineties. After the "Russian Five" sacrificed their lives in their home country to come here and help lift the "Dead Wings" out of the gutter, their legacy continues to this day.
He is No. 16. He is «Vladdy.» He is the human embodiment of sacrifice, resilience, and the thin line between triumph and tragedy.
Konstantinov was a player who suffered a debilitating fate after helping the Red Wings win their first cup in decades in 1997. He'd be paralyzed after a limousine crash.
A limousine accident nearly claimed him and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov. Both survived, but neither was ever the same.
The story is emotional for players and fans alike, as we reported on Slava Kozlov, who remembered his old friend Mnatsakanov after the accident.
The Detroit Red Wings' Vladimir Konstantinov's legacy with the team
The "Russian Five's Hammer" had to give up the game he loved after the incident. A game he sacrificed his body for, putting passion into every shift, every hit on the ice to help the Red Wings end a 42-year drought.
He'd be present in 1998 on the ice when the team won back-to-back titles in Joe Louis Arena. He placed his hands on the Stanley Cup, and 19,000 fans wept. Konstantinov had been the spirit of the team long after their first two Stanley Cup wins.
Konstantinov embodies what it meant to be a Red Wing; the grit and the heart are part of the puzzle of that 1997 team, which accomplished something special.
While it might seem like a slight at first, it's not a failure. It's a chance to teach meaningful history for the new blood of the Red Wings to learn about and emulate to achieve success in the NHL.
One Russian five-player has found a coaching gig in the KHL. A sign of success.
Yet, Konstantinov remains forever attached to the team through dedication after his tragic accident.
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JANVIER 17 | 105 ANSWERS Red Wings' Sergei Fedorov's jersey retirement ceremony created a bridge to the past with one star present With forward Sergei Fedorov's jersey retirement by the Detroit Red Wings, do you think it has created a good bridge from the past to the future to learn about defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov? | ||