Check this page for updates on Igor Larionov.

11/8/03 Igor misses 3rd game in a row with bruised ribs. He was elbowed in the chest in the first period of a 4-0 win over the Islanders.

"I felt some discomfort" Larionov said. "I thought it was going to go away, but every time you play you aggravate it again."

8/7/03 Update from The Detroit News: Holland spoke again Wednesday with Don Baizley, who represents unrestricted free agent Igor Larionov. Holland said "the door's not closed" on Larionov's possibly returning for a ninth NHL season in Detroit.

Larionov, who made $1.5 million last season, rejected the Wings offer of a one-year, $1 million deal last month. He met last week with Lewis in Moscow -- Lewis was hosting his fantasy hockey camp there -- and plans to return to Detroit with his family later this month.

Freepress 8/1/03: Holland also said that the signing of Ray Whitney didn't rule out the return of 42-year-old Igor Larionov, who rejected the club's offer of $1 million last month. Larionov made $1.5 million last season.

Although the Red Wings have pulled that offer, Holland said he was still willing to speak to agent Don Baizley about it.

"I have not ruled out Igor Larionov coming back to our team," Holland said.

Detroit Freepress reported on 7/31/03: "I'm not sure where Igor fits in with the signing of Ray Whitney," Holland said. "When you put a team together you want to have a bunch of different types of ingredients, one of which is size. I love the skill level of everybody, but we do lack some size up the middle."

2002 Winter Olympic Comments: Igor favors eliminating the center-ice red line, which would allow two-line passes. "The transition was good with the long passing from the goal line to the far blue line," Igor said. "The fans enjoyed watching that kind of hockey."

Igor was a big fan of the hurry-up face-offs: "I think it was nice," Igor said. "It was a quick game, and I think fans enjoy watching that type of hockey. No time-outs, it's better for us and for hockey."

On Olympic Hockey: "It was phenomenal, actually," Igor said. "Long time ago, I played that type of hockey. Skating fast with the puck . . . it was excellent to play that type of game."

Igor said his youngest daughter took his bronze medal to school.

On being named Captain of the 2002 Russian Olympic Team 122601: "[it's a] huge honor, because of the history of Russian hockey, the names of the captains . . . it's phenomenal. I'm just proud."

Olympics Past and Present 110701: "It's the best athletes in the world, competing at one time," Larionov, 40, said. "Who wouldn't be excited by something like that? And it's not just necessarily playing hockey. It's living in the village with all these athletes from all over the world, so many different nationalities and countries. It's something you never forget."

Slava Fetisov, has asked Larionov to be part of the Russian team, either as an assistant coach or player.

Preferably, Fetisov said, he'd like to see Larionov on the ice as a player.

Larionov said he'll give Fetisov an answer sometime after the Wings play the New Jersey Devils in a home-and-home series Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

"I'll talk to Slava that weekend," Larionov said. "I'll have a better idea of what I'll want to do after that. I'd like to be part of it in some way."

"We'll see," Larionov said of playing in a third Olympics. "I want to talk with Slava first. I want to see what he has in mind."

Team Russia 2002 102501: Slava Fetisov, a former Wings defenseman now an assistant coach with New Jersey and the coach and general manager of the Russian Olympic team, has had several conversations with Sergei Fedorov. "I want him on the team," Fetisov said. "He didn't say no, just that it was too early and he wanted some time to think about it." Fedorov said: "We'll see. I don't think our team is organized very well right now." Fetisov has asked Igor Larionov to be a part of the team, too, either as player or assistant. Pavel Datsyuk, Fetisov said, "is also a candidate."