| Mike Fisher | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Fisher with theOttawa Senators in 2008 | |||
| Born | (1980-06-05)June 5, 1980 (age 45) Peterborough, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 216 lb (98 kg; 15 st 6 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 | ||
Michael Andrew Fisher (born June 5, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockeycentre who played for theOttawa Senators andNashville Predators in theNational Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Senators in the second round, 44th overall, in the1998 NHL Entry Draft.[1]
Fisher grew up playing hockey in the Peterborough Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) with the rep Minor Petes program.[2] He was drafted from Jr. A Peterborough Petes (OHA) by theSudbury Wolves in the second round, 22nd overall, in the 1997OHL Priority Draft.[3] 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 theOttawa Senators in the1998 NHL Entry Draft. Returning to the OHL for one more season, Fisher recorded 106 points, fifth overall in league scoring.[4]
Fisher debuted with the Senators in1999–2000 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 in2002–03.
During the lock-out year of2004–05, Fisher played overseas forEV Zug in theSwissNationalliga A. As NHL play resumed the next season, in2005–06, Fisher emerged with 22 goals and 44 points, providing valuable secondary scoring for theSpezza-Heatley-Alfredsson line. He helped the Senators to a first seed in theEastern Conference going into the playoffs, but they were defeated by the fourth-seeded division rivalsBuffalo Sabres in five games in the second round. With a career-highplus-minus (+/-) rating of +23 in the regular season, Fisher was nominated for theFrank J. Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward. He finished as second runner-up behindJere Lehtinen of theDallas Stars and trophy-winnerRod Brind'Amour,captain of theStanley Cup championCarolina Hurricanes.[5]
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 theNew York Islanders,[6] forcing him to sit out four weeks. In theplayoffs, Fisher helped the Senators to the2007 Stanley Cup Finals, where they fell short to theAnaheim 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 the2007–08 season, Fisher re-signed with the Senators to a five-year, $21 million contract extension.[7] He went on to set a career-high 23 goals that season. However, Fisher was forced to miss theplayoffs, injuring his left knee in a knee-on-knee hit fromToronto Maple Leafs forwardMark Bell in the final game of the regular season.[8]
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A month and a half into the2008–09 season, Fisher suffered another knee injury, straining a ligament in his right knee against theNew York Islanders on November 17, 2008.[9]
On February 10, 2011, Fisher was traded to theNashville Predators in exchange for the Predators'2011 first round draft pick (Stefan Noesen) and a conditional pick in2012 (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.[10] The Predators won their first round playoff but ultimately lost their second round series, to theVancouver Canucks, meaning the Senators received a third-round pick. According to Fisher, although there were many trade deals for him, Ottawa GMBryan Murray and Ottawa ownerEugene Melnyk had chosen to accept Nashville's offer so that Fisher could be closer to his wife, country singerCarrie Underwood.[11][12]
Fisher played his first game with the Predators on February 12, 2011, and registered an assist in a 5–3 win over theColorado Avalanche. He scored his first goal as a Predator five days later, on February 17, against theVancouver Canucks.[13][14]
Fisher was the winner of the 2012NHL 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.[15]
On July 7, 2014, the Predators announced that Fisher had been injured during a training session and ruptured hisAchilles tendon. This caused him to be out four-to-six months rehabbing the injury and missing the beginning of the season.[16] Fisher finished the2014–15 season with 19 goals and 39 points in 59 games. 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 in2015–16 and $4 million in 2016–17.[17]
On December 1, 2015, Fisher suffered a lower-body injury in a game against the Arizona Coyotes. He was placed on injured reserve and only began skating again on December 19.[18] On March 2, 2016, Fisher played in his 1,000th game.[19] On May 5, 2016, he scored with 8:48 left in triple overtime in game four of the Western Conference Semi-finals to beat theSan Jose Sharks 4–3, tying the series at two games apiece and ending the longest game in Nashville franchise history.[20]
On September 7, 2016, Fisher was named the sixthcaptain of the Predators after previous captainShea Weber was traded to theMontreal Canadiens for defensemanP. K. Subban. He led the Predators to the2017 Stanley Cup Finals eventually losing to thePittsburgh 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 ofThe Tennessean,[21] becoming the first Predators captain to retire with the team.[22]
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.[23] On February 26, 2018, Fisher signed a one-year contract with the Predators.[24] In his final season, Fisher registered two goals and four points in 16 games with the Predators and only one goal in 12 playoff games. Fisher retired for a second time on May 12, 2018, a few days after the Predators were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by theWinnipeg Jets.[25]
Fisher was born and raised inPeterborough,Ontario, to parents Jim and Karen[26] and is a devoutChristian.[27] He has two brothers (Rob and Gregory, aka "Bud") and one sister (Meredith).[28] Fisher's uncle is David Fisher, a former chaplain to theToronto Blue Jays baseball club.[29] Fisher's brother Gregory is also a hockey player; he is agoaltender who played forQuinnipiac University in theECAC.[30][26] On October 23, 2009, Gregory replaced the Senators' then-starting goaltenderPascal Leclaire in net during a Senators' practice after Leclaire fell ill.[31]
In the off-season, Fisher devoted time to hockey camps in his hometown in Peterborough,Kingston andOttawa through Hockey Ministries International.[27] Fisher has also been a guest instructor at theRoger Neilson Hockey Camp.[32]
Fisher is married to American singerCarrie Underwood. They met backstage after one of Underwood's concerts in 2008. The couple became engaged on December 20, 2009.[33] On July 10, 2010, Fisher married Underwood at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, inGreensboro, Georgia, with more than 250 people in attendance.[34][35] Underwood surprised Fisher by having one of their favorite artists,Brandon Heath, sing his song "Love Never Fails" for their first dance.[36] In February 2015, Underwood gave birth to their first child, a son.[37] In January 2019, she gave birth to their second son.[38]
In March 2019, Fisher became a United States citizen.[39]
| 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 | ||||
| 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 | ||||
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
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Nashville Predators captain 2016–17 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
