The Nashville Predators announced on Wednesday that former team captain Mike Fisher is coming out of retirement to rejoin the team.
“On Wednesday morning at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Fisher took to the ice in what is the first step toward the former Predators centerman rejoining the club he captained to within two wins of a Stanley Cup last spring – with hopes of getting just a little bit further this time around,” NHL.com reported.
Indeed, Fisher intends to begin skating and working out on his own before joining the entire team for practices. The ultimate goal is to sign a contract before the Feb. 26 trade deadline and return to game action and pursue the one thing every hockey player dreams of.
It’s a virtually unprecedented move – only a handful of former NHLers have stepped out of retirement and back onto the ice to give it one more try.
Nashville sport fans shouted their approval of the move on Twitter and local talk radio, as the Predators announcement on Twitter gained hundreds of retweets in minutes:
Mike Fisher confirms he's only coming back to play in this season, nothing more. #Preds
— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) January 31, 2018
“Fisher said there’s no real timetable for return, but his goal is to be back as soon as possible ahead of February 26 roster setting deadline,” Newschannel5 reported:
“I believe this team is built to win and has a great chance and that’s part of it,” Fisher said. “But we didn’t win last year and it was still the best time of my career.”
Fisher announced his retirement in 2017 after 17 seasons in the NHL. At age 37, he scored 18 goals last season while helping to lead the Preds to their first ever Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Fisher scored 109 goals for the Predators since being acquired ahead of the trade deadline in the 2010-11 season and has been apart of all six playoff series wins in franchise history.
