Reports emerged that the Columbus Blue Jackets did not reach out to Sergei Fedorov, the famed former Detroit Red Wings captain and three-time Stanley Cup champion, regarding the possibility of bringing in a Russian specialist for the team’s head coaching role. According to Athletic, there was no direct communication between the club and the CSKA coach, and Fedorov was not considered a candidate for the position even as rumors circulated.
The team has consistently indicated that Fedorov was not in the running for the job, and no interview took place. While speculation about a future NHL return for Fedorov persists, observers suggest that such a scenario would make for a compelling chapter in the league’s ongoing story, but it has not materialized at this time.
Fedorov’s standing is notable in hockey history. He is recognized as a three-time Stanley Cup winner with Detroit, a federation member whose name continues to surface in discussions about coaching talents with international experience.
In 2021, Fedorov took the helm of CSKA Moscow, marking his breakout as a head coach after a long playing career. The appointment drew significant attention and debate, given it was his inaugural coaching role and followed his retirement from competitive play in 2013. Nevertheless, he remained with CSKA in a leadership capacity, contributing to the club’s strategies and development programs.
Looking back at a recent Gagarin Cup Final, CSKA Moscow secured a 3–2 victory in a decisive seventh game against Ak Bars Kazan. For Kazan, players such as Anton Slepyshev, Vladislav Kamenev, and Darren Dietz found the net, while Kirill Petrov and Dmitry Voronkov also played pivotal roles in the team’s performance during the series.
In the previous season, Fedorov’s CSKA squad defeated Metallurg Magnitogorsk to clinch the Gagarin Cup, reinforcing his reputation as a coach capable of guiding top-tier teams deep into the playoffs and securing championship hardware. This success has kept him in the spotlight among fans and analysts who follow the cross-border exchange of coaching ideas and talent.
While discussions about Fedorov’s NHL future continue to surface, current reporting makes clear that he is not an active candidate for any NHL head coaching vacancy at this moment. The absence of contact or interview with the Blue Jackets underscores the gap between public rumor and formal approa ches in professional hockey management, a gap that many teams navigate carefully when evaluating potential leadership hires for their rosters and plans.