Fedorov battles to bring NHL respectability to Columbus

Originally published in Eishockey News in 2007

By Lucas Aykroyd

In a parallel universe where the Soviet Union didn’t collapse, Sergei Fedorov might still be centering USSR national team coach Viktor Tikhonov’s top line with Pavel Bure and Alexander Mogilny. In actuality, this NHL legend celebrated his 37th birthday on December 12 with a fifth consecutive victory for his Columbus Blue Jackets under coach Ken Hitchcock, which marked the team’s best streak of the season after a disastrous start. Battling injuries and playing with a less talented group than he enjoyed with the Detroit Red Wings, Fedorov is no longer the explosive talent who captured the Hart and Selke Trophies in the mid-1990’s. But he’s still contributing on Columbus’s top line with Rick Nash and Anson Carter. Now it’s a question of whether the Blue Jackets can move up from the Western Conference’s basement. Eishockey News caught up with the highest-scoring Russian in NHL history after a 3-2 shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks on January 31.

Eishockey News: How do you explain your team’s recent improvement compared to how you played at the start of the season?

Sergei Fedorov: I think every player realizes what his job is. Ken Hitchcock really tuned up our systems 5-on-5, and our penalty-killing is better. Our power play still could be better. We’re playing with more confidence with every win we get.

EN: How would you compare Hitchcock’s style to Scotty Bowman’s?

Fedorov: Well, Scotty had an all-star team in Detroit. Here in Columbus we have a young team. It’s certainly different in terms of the ideas you can present to older, more experienced players versus a younger team. Hitch’s style is very detailed. He knows exactly what each player has to do on the ice. I’m happy to play under his command, because everything he preaches I already know. Everything is repeated a lot of times. I’m excited about this team’s future because we have an experienced coach with confidence, and our young guys are trying to listen and learn.

EN: What is your role at this stage of your career?

Fedorov: I want to deliver overall performance at the highest level, when my legs are ready for that kind of a challenge. So far, it’s been decent, I think, except for a couple of injuries I had early in the season. It’s still a bit challenging for me to play with a few bruises, but so far, so good. I just try to pass the puck and forecheck a lot. The penalty-killing has been pretty good. I’m playing with Rick Nash. On the power play, I don’t do much handling of the puck anymore, but I do apply a certain pressure by skating up ice and trying to get the puck back on the second wave. It’s about doing things right, showing guys what our coach asks us to do.

EN: What are your thoughts on your young Russian teammates, Nikolai Zherdev and Alexander Svitov?

Fedorov: They still have a little bit to learn in this league. But they are tremendous talents, and they are getting a huge chance to prove who they really are. I think they’re doing a good job of it.

EN: With a club that’s never made the playoffs, how do you build the kind of winning tradition that you had in Detroit?

Fedorov: It’s not easy. It’s a very young franchise, but it’s a good group of guys, working hard. Obviously with a coach like Ken Hitchcock, we’ve made really big progress. There are still games ahead to win. We’ve still got our challenges to achieve. But with every win, we’re playing with a little more confidence.

EN: After playing in Detroit for all those years, how much recognition would you get from fans out in public in Anaheim and now in Columbus?

Fedorov: Anaheim was actually not bad at all. When I arrived there before the season, I guess the word was around town, and every time I went grocery shopping, some people were really supportive of me being there. In Columbus, it’s a little bit milder. I don’t really put myself out there in public, because our schedule is insane. You’ve got to get ready for the games. But the Midwest fans are hardcore fans. They support this team like there’s no tomorrow. It reminds me a little bit of Detroit. We’ve got a sold-out arena almost every game. It gives us a good boost to work hard and win some games against anybody who comes into our building.

EN: What do the Blue Jackets need to do to get back in the playoff hunt?

Fedorov: I hope we win more games and get up over .500. That’s what our coach preaches to us. If we can do that every month, I think we may have a chance.