Predators' Captain Leans On Faith And Family

Photos courtesy of James Carey Lauder

Make the NHL—check. Date a celebrity country music star— check. Stay involved in the community and promote the Christian faith—check. Marry Carrie Underwood and become a proud husband—check. Get traded to the very important country music city of Nashville that your wife calls home—check. Become the captain of that new team—check.

Become a father—check. Serve as an ambassador within the Christian sports organization Hockey Ministries International (HMI)—check. Guide the Nashville Predators to the franchise’s first appearance in the Stanley Cup—check.

Mike Fisher has had himself quite the career. For the Peterborough, Ontario native, the dream to play hockey in the NHL was there ever since his first time on skates. But as time moved on, Fisher found himself modeling both his game and his lifestyle choices after a certain kind of hockey player.

“I grew up being a big fan of other Christian hockey players,” the now 36-year-old Fisher says. “Guys like Mark Osborne, Laurie Boschman and Stu Grimson were really fundamental to my beliefs and growth, both as a hockey player and as a person. And now that time has moved on, hopefully I have been able to encourage young kids along the way, in a similar fashion to how those guys helped shape me.”

According to almost anybody’s standards, the word “encourage” would be a major understatement. Fisher has spoken openly about his faith in numerous televised interviews, radio shows and media scrums. He is very commonly heard on both Canadian and American radio commercials advertising anything from HMI to the Fight to End Modern Day Slavery.

As a devout Christian, Fisher may see things differently than some, but now serving the Nashville Predators as team captain, the 6-foot-1, 216 pound centreman has made it clear that he has not changed his game or mindset in this new leadership role.

“I don’t know that I have changed a whole lot now as captain,” Fisher reflects. “I just try to be a positive role model and encourage the guys. I know that I am here playing this game for a reason, and there is greater purpose than just on the ice too. Positivity is definitely something that I try to bring as much as I can, and my faith definitely helps as far as perspective; keeping things within perspective is so important.”

Whatever it is that he has done within the Predators’ organization, it sure has worked.

After winning a total of just one playoff round in the previous four seasons, Nashville—under Fisher’s leadership—did the unthinkable and swept the cup-favourite Chicago Blackhawks in four games in the opening round of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Preds showed no signs of slowing down, and beat out both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks in six games in the second and third rounds respectively, en route to the Stanley Cup Finals. Nashville made franchise history in the process, as it was the team’s first time making it past the second round of the playoffs.

Not only has Fisher been active within his hockey team, but also within his city, and more importantly, his family.

On February 27, 2015, Fisher and his wife of seven years, Carrie Underwood gave birth to a baby boy, Isaiah Michael Fisher. Now two years old, Isaiah has already made his rounds on both the country music and hockey themed social media feeds—often finding himself the main attraction in Carrie’s home workout videos or her #GoPredsGo pump up pictures.

Although living a very rare family lifestyle in which Mike and Carrie may go weeks without seeing one another, Fisher knows just how important it is to both he and his wife that their toddler is raised in a way indicative of their beliefs.

“There definitely has to be some balance for sure, but we know that our faith is number one, and managing that properly within our family is so important,” Fisher says. “As far as being a dad, it is amazing what changes when that happens in your perspective. Your goal and calling becomes just raising him to become the man that God created him to be, and that is so exciting. It has been fun so far and it’s obviously not always going to be easy I’m sure, but I am really enjoying family life.”

Captaining a playoff-bound NHL hockey team, raising a son, and taking in a celebrity lifestyle with a seven-time Grammy-Award-winning wife may seem like a dream for any young Canadian boy. But the reality of it is that it can be an arduous lifestyle. But much like the Bible verse found on Fisher’s hockey sticks, taken from Romans 12:12, he knows that it is his duty to “Be glad for all God is planning, be patient in trouble and always be prayerful”.

Fisher is the first to admit that his fast-paced way of life can become labourious at times, but the captain of the Nashville Predators is also quick to point out that he couldn’t do it without the support of so many of his friends and family.

“The biggest thing for me is that I have had so many great role models in my life that have come alongside and mentored me,” he says. “It’s one of those things that is hard to do alone. The support and prayers that I have received throughout my whole career has been amazing, and serves as a huge difference for me. Hopefully I have been able to make a difference for others as well. I know that there have been lots of people in my life that have helped me on and off the ice, so hopefully I can pay that back a little bit.”

/ CARTER BROOKS is a news writer and sports columnist situated in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On top of reading and writing, coaching hockey is his favourite pastime.