The Detroit Red Wings honored Sergei Fedorov earlier this year by retiring his number. They were hoisting his No. 91 jersey into the Little Caesars Arena rafters.
Fedorov was getting recognition of a different kind this week, and it’s unlikely that he’s celebrating this acknowledgment.
The name of the most recent Red Wings player who was a winner of the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP has been added to the Ukrainian website Myrotvorets. That’s the Ukrainian word for peacemaker. However, to be a choice for inclusion on this list means you are exhibiting qualities that are exactly the opposite of making peace.
The Myrotvorets website publishes a list of people who the site considers to be “enemies of Ukraine”. Officially, the website states, “whose actions have signs of crimes against the national security of Ukraine, peace, human security, and international law”.
The site was launched in 2014 by Ukrainian politician and activist Georgy Tuka. In Russia, the site is recognized as extremist and is banned.
On the website, Fedorov is facing accusations of attempting to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The site also suggests that he is supporting the conduct of a special military operation.
It’s unclear how Fedorov is undermining Ukraine. Fedorov is a member of the board of CKSA Moscow, the former Russian Red Army team. He also played for the club and coached CSKA Moscow to a pair of KHL Gagarin Cup titles.
Fedorov made NHL history with the Red Wings
Fedorov, 56, was a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings in 1996-97, 1997-98, and 2001-02.
In 1993-94, he became the first and, so far, the only player in NHL history to win the Hart Trophy as MVP and the Selke Trophy as the league’s best defensive forward in the same season.
The Hockey Hall of Fame was honoring Fedorov with enshrinement in 2015.