Jiří Fischer
| Jiří Fischer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
July 31, 1980 Hořovice, Czechoslovakia |
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| Height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm) | ||
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Detroit Red Wings HC Bílí Tygři Liberec |
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| National team |
 Czech Republic
|
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| NHL Draft | 25th overall, 1998 Detroit Red Wings |
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| Playing career | 1999–2005 | ||
Jiří Fischer (born July 31, 1980) is a former professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL) who played his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings. He currently serves as Detroit's Director of Player Development. Fischer was selected in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft in the first round, 25th overall, by the Red Wings, and was a part of the team that won the 2002 Stanley Cup.
Fischer's playing career ended after he went into cardiac arrest in a November 2005 game, and narrowly escaped death due to the immediate action of doctors and other arena personnel. He subsequently retired due to his heart problems.
He also served as the assistant coach for the Czech Republic during the 2012 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships.
In 2003, Fischer appeared with fellow NHL defenseman Chris Pronger in a television commercial for Dodge Ram trucks. The commercial featured a black Ram truck running along a track, which then smashes into a wall. Fischer and Pronger, along with two other unnamed players, exit the truck in full hockey gear. Pronger then intones "I've been hit harder," and Fischer answers "Me too." The commercial was played during the 2003 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Neither defenseman were playing at the time as both were recovering from torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries when the commercial was filmed.
During a game on November 21, 2005, against the Nashville Predators, Fischer collapsed on the bench after going into cardiac arrest. After being unconscious for six minutes, Fischer was resuscitated by CPR and by an automated external defibrillator by Dr. Tony Colucci, and was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital. The hockey game was postponed due to Fischer's injury, and was made up on January 23, 2006. This marked the first time in NHL history a game had been postponed due to injury. The makeup game was played for the full 60 minutes, though the Predators were allowed to maintain their 1-0 lead from the original game. Nashville ultimately won by a score of 3-2.
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