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Sergei Fedorov odds-on favorite for Red Wings' head coaching job

Hall of Famer Sergei Fedorov could be the Detroit Red Wings' next head coach after leading the franchise to three Stanley Cups as a player. (Getty Images)
Hall of Famer Sergei Fedorov could be the Detroit Red Wings' next head coach after leading the franchise to three Stanley Cups as a player. (Getty Images)

The Detroit Red Wings may soon be welcoming a club legend back to take over behind the bench.

Vegas oddsmakers have NHL Hall of Famer and Red Wings' legend Sergei Fedorov as the front-runner to be hired as the next head coach of the franchise.

Detroit Free Press' Helene St. James pointed out on Wednesday that BetOnline and Sportsbetting.ag have the 52-year-old at +350 odds at getting the job, ahead of notable coaching free agents Pete DeBoer, Bruce Cassidy and Barry Trotz.

In a playing career spanning 18 years and 1,248 NHL games, the center scored 483 goals notched 696 assists for 1,179 points for the Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals. The six-time all-star has two Selke Trophies, one Hart Trophy and one Ted Lindsay Award, as well as three Stanley Cups, all won with the Red Wings.

Fedorov returned to Russia for the twilight years of his career, playing for three seasons with the KHL's Metallurg Magnitogorsk. He officially hung up his skates in 2012, at age 42.

Fedorov has plenty of experience working in management and coaching since he retired from professional hockey, serving as general manager of KHL powerhouse CSKA Moscow and even taking over as head coach last season and leading them to a Gagarin Cup. He also helped the Russian Olympic Committee secure a silver medal at the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games as an assistant coach.

The Red Wings' head coaching position was made available when former bench boss Jeff Blashill was notified in April that he would not be retained following the conclusion of the 2021-2022 season. In 537 games behind Detroit's bench, Blashill owned a record of 204-261-72, missing the playoffs for six consecutive seasons since 2016-17.

This will be general manager Steve Yzerman's first coaching search since he joined Detroit's front office as a highly-sought executive in April 2019.

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