Do you remember when Sergei Federov played for the Columbus Blue Jackets? Many younger fans do not. But for older fans, it was a fun time while he was here. Enjoy this piece from 2006!
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A Columbus Discovery - Oct 3, 2006/vol. 60, issue 04 - Mike Brophy
Sergei Fedorov would like the hockey world to know rumors of his demise have been greatly exaggerated. OK, so he has a shoulder injury that will keep him on the shelf for a few weeks, but he is otherwise looking forward to a great season in Columbus
Some would have you believe he dropped from the face of the Earth three years ago when he left Detroit and signed with Anaheim as a free agent. It was as though the 31 goals he scored with the Ducks in his first year on the West Coast meant squat. Or the 36 points he accumulated over the Blue Jackets’ final 41 games last season meant diddly.
Fedorov’s numbers might not match those he put up when he was helping the Red Wings win three Stanley Cups in six years, when he was being named Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s most valuable player and when he was carving out a deserved reputation as one of the game’s best two-way performers by claiming the Selke Trophy (twice) as best defensive forward. But don’t count the 35-year-old center out just yet.
‘HE REALLY HELPED’
“I hear people talking about him not being the player he was, but you never hear that from people who watch our team play regularly,” says Columbus GM-president Doug MacLean. “He really helped us turn things around. When young players see the way he and Adam Foote work in practice and in game, and how they prepare themselves, they can’t help but get better.”
Fedorov started to slip a little off the radar when he was signed by the Ducks, and became nearly invisible upon his move to Columbus. That will change this season.
The Blue Jackets stand a good chance of being this year’s breakout team, and if that happens, the veteran Russian will be front and center. MacLean has been one of the NHL’s more aggressive GMs over the past couple seasons, acquiring quality veterans such as Fedorov, Foote (two Cups with Colorado), Fredrik Modin (one Cup with Tampa Bay), and Anson Carter.
When you put them with draft picks such as potential Rocket Richard Trophy winner Rick Nash, slick Gilbert Brule, and, perhaps, Nikolai Zherdev (should he play in Ohio and not Russia), it is easy to understand why Columbus should be a cinch to make the playoffs for the first time.
Oh, and if you thought Fedorov was disappointed at being moved to Columbus, then you really don’t know the man.
“Not at all,” insists the personable Fedorov. “As far as the city I play in, it really doesn’t matter to me; the ice rinks are all the same. All I knew when I was traded to Columbus was, when I played there for Detroit and Anaheim, the place was always packed and the fans were loud.”
Fedorov had a busy off-season bouncing all over the globe between London (training for two weeks and playing in a charity soccer game for UNICEF with some of the game’s greats, including Diego Maradona), Moscow, Miami, and Detroit.
STILL ELECTRIFYING
You may not hear Fedorov’s name mentioned among the league’s elite players these days, but that doesn’t mean he is finished making his mark. On the contrary, he believes he has plenty left in the tank.
Fact is, people in the Blue Jackets organization will tell you Fedorov still has the potential to be an electrifying individual, but he spent so much time working with the younger players last season, it was probably done to the detriment of his own performance.
The reality is, Fedorov has always been more of a complete player than a great offensive force. He has but two top 10 finishes in the scoring race in his career and doesn’t lose a minute’s sleep over his offensive numbers.
“I always wanted to play at the top level with the best players, even when I was growing up in the Soviet Union, so it was important for me to learn to do the little things in the game better,” Fedorov says.
So what drives a three-time Cup winner in the twilight of his career?
“Well, I’m chasing 500 goals (he has 443) so it will be interesting to see if and how I can get there,” Fedorov says. “It’s also kind of exciting to try to keep up with 21-year-olds. When I skated with younger players this summer, I was surprised at how fast I was compared to them.”
“I saw (The Hockey News) picked us to be in the playoffs, and if we get all the old guys and young guys to play better defensively, then I think your projection will be accurate.”
We have no doubt.
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