Detroit Red Wings
Milestone Moments Giving Red Wings Motivation
Kane, Fedorov help Detroit to keep going
The late January, early February times can turn into the dog days of the NHL schedule, but the Detroit Red Wings have had plenty of variety to keep them barking.
First off, they are in the heat of a playoff race. For the first time in nearly a decade, it appears more likely than not that Detroit will be participating in the NHL postseason.
More recently, there’s been plenty of other things to hold their interest when coming to the rink. There was the retirement ceremony for the No. 91 of Red Wings icon Sergei Fedorov on January 19.
Then there’s the milestone march of Red Wings forward Patrick Kane. First, he hunted down the 500-goal plateau. Next up is his chase after Mike Modano to become the highest-scoring US-born NHL player of all time.
These moments might not be making the Red Wings a better team, but they do help to keep them in a place where they are an invested team.
No. 91, forever in the rafters in Detroit ❤️
Congratulations, Sergei Fedorov! pic.twitter.com/UG6wU2Lu1U
— NHL (@NHL) January 12, 2026
“They’re obviously awesome events,” Red Wings forward Andrew Copp said. “I mean, the Fedorov jersey retirement was such a cool night.
“The boys kind of know what’s happening, but I don’t know if it helps you win hockey games. It just kind of keeps the vibes going, keeps the momentum going.
“And especially in January, with how many games we’ve played almost through the dog days. We got 30 games left, so it can kind of help you get through that.”
Red Wings Looking For Ovechkin-Type Bump
Last season, as Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was closing in on Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal-scoring record, the team got on board, riding his coattails all the way to first place in the Metropolitan Division. Copp wonders in the Wings could latch on to a similar scenario.
Patrick Kane
50th player in NHL history to score 500 goals, and the 7th to do so vs. the Canucks#LGRW pic.twitter.com/OwLUsQRSu2
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) January 9, 2026
“Obviously, with all Kaner stuff, I think you saw with Washington last year, all Ovi stuff, and how they kind of fed off of it,” Copp said. “So I think it gets our crowd in the game.
“But winning cures everything, and I think when you’re winning hockey games and that stuff’s going on, it just kind of snowballs.”
