Mike Fisher (ice hockey)

Michael Andrew Fisher (born June 5, 1980) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey centre who played for the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Senators in the second round, 44th overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.[1]

Mike Fisher
Fisher with the Ottawa Senators in 2008
Born (1980-06-05) June 5, 1980
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 217 lb (98 kg; 15 st 7 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Right
Played for Ottawa Senators
EV Zug
Nashville Predators
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 44th overall, 1998
Ottawa Senators
Playing career 1999–2018
Website mikefisher.ca

Playing career

Junior

Fisher grew up playing hockey in the Peterborough Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) with the rep Minor Petes program. He was drafted from Jr. A Peterborough Petes (OHA) by the Sudbury Wolves in the second round, 22nd overall, in the 1997 OHL Priority Draft.[2] After putting up 49 points in 66 games in his first year with the Wolves, Fisher was drafted in the second round, 44th overall, by the Ottawa Senators in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. Returning to the OHL for one more season, Fisher recorded 106 points, fifth overall in league scoring.[3]

Ottawa Senators

Fisher debuted with the Senators in 1999–2000 and recorded 9 points in an injury-shortened 32-game rookie season. He became known for his aggressive style of play and began to also show his penchant for offensive production as he improved to 18 goals and 38 points in his fourth season in 2002–03.

During the lock-out year of 2004–05, Fisher played overseas for EV Zug in the Swiss Nationalliga A. As NHL play resumed the next season, in 2005–06, Fisher emerged with 22 goals and 44 points, providing valuable secondary scoring for the Spezza-Heatley-Alfredsson line. He helped the Senators to a first seed in the Eastern Conference going into the playoffs, but they were defeated by the fourth-seeded division rivals Buffalo Sabres in five games in the second round. With a career-high plus-minus (+/-) rating of +23 in the regular season, Fisher was nominated for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward. He finished as second runner-up behind Jere Lehtinen of the Dallas Stars and trophy-winner Rod Brind'Amour, captain of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.[4]

The following season, Fisher duplicated his previous campaign's goals total with 22 and improved to a personal best 26 assists and 48 points. He was kept to 68 games due to a left knee injury, sustained on December 27, 2006, against the New York Islanders,[5] forcing him to sit out four weeks. In the playoffs, Fisher helped the Senators to the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals, where they fell short to the Anaheim Ducks in five games. Fisher posted career playoff highs with 5 goals, 5 assists and 10 points in 20 games.

With one year left on his contract heading into the 2007–08 season, Fisher re-signed with the Senators to a five-year, $21 million contract extension.[6] He went on to set a career-high 23 goals that season. However, Fisher was forced to miss the playoffs, injuring his left knee in a knee-on-knee hit from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mark Bell in the final game of the regular season.[7]

Fisher with the Ottawa Senators, November 2009.

A month and a half into the 2008–09 season, Fisher suffered another knee injury, straining a ligament in his right knee against the New York Islanders on November 17, 2008.[8]

Nashville Predators

On February 10, 2011, Fisher was traded to the Nashville Predators in exchange for the Predators' 2011 first round draft pick (Stefan Noesen) and a conditional pick in 2012 (Jarrod Maidens). The condition was that should the Predators win a playoff series, the Senators would receive a third-round pick, and a second round pick if the Predators won two or more playoff series.[9] The Predators won their first round playoff but ultimately lost their second round series, to the Vancouver Canucks, meaning the Senators received a third-round pick. According to Fisher, although there were many trade deals for him, Ottawa GM Bryan Murray and Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk had chosen to accept Nashville's offer so that Fisher could be closer to his wife, country singer Carrie Underwood.[10][11]

Fisher played his first game with the Predators on February 12, 2011, and scored an assist in a 5–3 win over the Colorado Avalanche. He scored his first goal as a Predator five days later, on February 17, against the Vancouver Canucks.

Fisher was the winner of the 2012 NHL Foundation Player Award, awarded to the NHL player who applies the core values of hockey – commitment, perseverance and teamwork – to enrich the lives of people in his community.[12]

On June 26, 2015, just prior to becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1, Fisher signed a two-year, $8.8 million contract extension with the Predators, paying $4.8 million in 2015–16 and $4 million in 2016–17.[13]

On May 5, 2016, he scored with 8:48 left in triple overtime in game four of the Western Conference Semi-finals to beat the San Jose Sharks 4–3, tying the series at two games apiece.

On September 7, 2016, Fisher was named the sixth captain of the Predators after previous captain Shea Weber was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for defenceman P. K. Subban. He led the Predators to the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals eventually losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. On August 3, 2017, Fisher announced his retirement from the NHL via a letter addressed to Predators fans in that day's edition of The Tennessean,[14] becoming the first Predators captain to retire with the team.[15]

On January 31, 2018, Fisher announced that he intended to end his retirement to help the Predators make another Stanley Cup run. Fisher said that he would practice with the Predators and eventually sign a contract before the trade deadline of February 26, 2018.[16] On February 26, 2018, Fisher signed a one-year contract with the Predators.[17]

On May 12, 2018, Fisher announced his re-retirement, a few days after the Predators were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Winnipeg Jets.[18]

Personal life

Fisher was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, to parents Jim and Karen[19] and is a devout Christian.[20] He has two brothers (Rob and Gregory, aka "Bud") and one sister (Meredith).[21] Fisher's uncle is David Fisher, a former chaplain to the Toronto Blue Jays baseball club.[22] Fisher's brother Gregory is also a hockey player; he is a goaltender who played for Quinnipiac University in the ECAC.[23][19] On October 23, 2009, Gregory replaced the Senators' then-starting goaltender Pascal Leclaire in net during a Senators' practice after Leclaire fell ill.[24]

In the off-season, Fisher devotes time to hockey camps in his hometown in Peterborough, Kingston and Ottawa through Hockey Ministries International.[20] Fisher has also been a guest instructor at the Roger Neilson Hockey Camp.[25]

Fisher is married to American singer Carrie Underwood. They met backstage after one of Underwood's concerts in 2008. The couple became engaged on December 20, 2009. The engagement was confirmed by Fisher the next morning during the Senators' morning skate.[26] On July 10, 2010, Fisher married Underwood at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, in Greensboro, Georgia, with more than 250 people in attendance.[27][28] Underwood surprised Fisher by having one of their favourite artists, Brandon Heath, sing his song "Love Never Fails" for their first dance.[29] It was announced on September 1, 2014, that Fisher and Underwood were expecting their first child together. In February 2015, Underwood gave birth to their first child, a son.[30] In January 2019, she gave birth to their second son.[31]

On March 21, 2019, Fisher became a United States citizen.[32]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1996–97 Peterborough Bees OJHL 51 26 30 56 56 — — — — —
1997–98 Sudbury Wolves OHL 66 24 24 49 64 9 2 2 4 13
1998–99 Sudbury Wolves OHL 66 41 65 106 55 4 2 1 3 4
1999–00 Ottawa Senators NHL 32 4 5 9 15 — — — — —
2000–01 Ottawa Senators NHL 60 7 12 19 46 4 0 1 1 4
2001–02 Ottawa Senators NHL 58 15 9 24 55 10 2 1 3 0
2002–03 Ottawa Senators NHL 74 18 20 38 54 18 2 2 4 16
2003–04 Ottawa Senators NHL 24 4 6 10 39 7 1 0 1 4
2004–05 EV Zug NLA 21 9 18 27 39 9 2 3 5 20
2005–06 Ottawa Senators NHL 68 22 22 44 64 10 2 2 4 12
2006–07 Ottawa Senators NHL 68 22 26 48 41 20 5 5 10 24
2007–08 Ottawa Senators NHL 79 23 24 47 82 — — — — —
2008–09 Ottawa Senators NHL 78 13 19 32 66 — — — — —
2009–10 Ottawa Senators NHL 79 25 28 53 59 6 2 3 5 6
2010–11 Ottawa Senators NHL 55 14 10 24 33 — — — — —
2010–11 Nashville Predators NHL 27 5 7 12 10 12 3 4 7 11
2011–12 Nashville Predators NHL 72 24 27 51 33 10 1 3 4 8
2012–13 Nashville Predators NHL 38 10 11 21 27 — — — — —
2013–14 Nashville Predators NHL 75 20 29 49 60 — — — — —
2014–15 Nashville Predators NHL 59 19 20 39 39 3 0 1 1 0
2015–16 Nashville Predators NHL 70 13 10 23 29 14 5 2 7 2
2016–17 Nashville Predators NHL 72 18 24 42 55 20 0 4 4 2
2017–18 Nashville Predators NHL 16 2 2 4 8 12 1 0 1 2
NHL totals 1,104 278 311 589 815 146 24 28 52 91

International
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2005 Canada WC 9 0 1 1 4
2009 Canada WC 9 2 3 5 14
Senior totals 18 2 4 6 18

References
  1. Rexrode, Joe (August 3, 2017). "What Mike Fisher's retirement means to the Predators". Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  2. "1997 OHL Midget Priority Draft". Retrieved November 17, 2008.
  3. "1998–99 OHL League Leaders". Hockeydb.com. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
  4. "Thornton is NHL MVP". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. June 22, 2006. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
  5. "Senators lose center Fisher with left knee injury". ESPN. December 28, 2006. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  6. "Sens lock up Mike Fisher". Ottawa Citizen. September 17, 2007. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  7. "Alfredsson, Fisher will miss weeks". The Globe and Mail. April 4, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  8. "Slumping Senators lose Fisher, Neil to injuries". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 19, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  9. "Sens trade Fisher to Predators for 1st round, conditional pick". TSN. February 10, 2011.
  10. "'I just wanted you to be with your wife': Fisher reveals heartwarming story of trade". Ottawa Citizen. December 15, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  11. Fischer, Mike (December 15, 2016). "One-Way Ticket". theplayerstribune.com. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  12. Fisher wins NHL Foundation Award http://www.mikefisher.ca/latest/
  13. "Predators sign center Fisher to two-year contract". National Hockey League. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  14. "Predators' Mike Fisher: Thanks, Nashville". The Tennessean. August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  15. "Mike Fisher Announces Retirement in Heartfelt Letter to Fans". National Hockey League. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
  16. Bratten, Brooks (January 31, 2018). "Mike Fisher Coming Back to Play for Preds". NHL.com. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  17. "Predators Sign Mike Fisher to One-Year Deal". NHL.com. February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  18. Satriano, David (May 12, 2018). "Fisher retires from Predators after 18 seasons in NHL". NHL.com. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  19. "Bud Fisher". Quinnipiac University. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
  20. "Faithful Fisher". Canadian Sports Magazine. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  21. Davies, Mike (July 7, 2010). "Fisher's family intent on keeping wedding private | Sports". Toronto Sun. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  23. "Bud Fisher". eliteprospects.com. Retrieved May 13, 2018.
  24. "SENATORS FORWARD CHEECHOO STRUGGLING TO SCORE GOALS". The Sports Network. Retrieved October 26, 2009.
  25. Brodie, Rob (July 29, 2009). "Fisher hockey camp feels Roger's touch". NHL.com. Retrieved March 18, 2018. Fisher, the veteran Ottawa Senators centre, spent a lot of years working as an instructor at the famed Roger Neilson's Hockey Camp in Lindsay, Ont
  26. Garrioch, Bruce. "It's true: Mike & Carrie engaged | Sports". Ottawa Sun. Archived from the original on December 22, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  27. Finan, Eileen (July 10, 2010). "Carrie Underwood Gets Married in Southern Style – Weddings, Carrie Underwood". People. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  28. "Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher Tie the Knot! – Style & Beauty". Us Weekly. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  29. "Brandon Heath Sings at Carrie Underwood's Wedding". Clash Entertainment. January 18, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
  30. "Carrie Underwood announces the birth of Isaiah Michael Fisher". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
  31. Watts, Cindy (January 23, 2019). "Carrie Underwood welcomes second baby with Mike Fisher". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 23, 2019..
  32. Kimble, Lindsay (March 22, 2019). "Mike Fisher — NHL Star and Carrie Underwood's Husband — Is Officially an American Citizen". people.com. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Shea Weber		 Nashville Predators captain
2016–17		 Succeeded by
Roman Josi
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