Michael Andrew Fisher was born on June 5, 1980. He is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played as a centre for the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Senators selected him in the second round, 44th overall, during the 1998 NHL draft.

Playing career

Fisher began playing hockey in the Peterborough Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) with the rep Minor Petes program. He was chosen from the Jr. A Peterborough Petes (OHA) by the Sudbury Wolves in the second round, 22nd overall, during the 1997 OHL Priority Draft. In his first season with the Wolves, Fisher scored 49 points in 66 games. Later, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, he was selected in the second round, 44th overall, by the Ottawa Senators. Fisher returned to the OHL for one more season, scoring 106 points, which ranked fifth in the league.

Fisher made his NHL debut with the Senators during the 1999–2000 season. He recorded 9 points in 32 games, but his season was shortened by injuries. Over time, Fisher became known for his strong, aggressive style of play and improved his scoring, reaching 18 goals and 38 points in the 2002–03 season.

During the 2004–05 lock-out year, Fisher played for EV Zug in the Swiss Nationalliga A. When NHL play resumed in 2005–06, Fisher scored 22 goals and 44 points, helping the Senators reach the top seed in the Eastern Conference. However, the team was defeated by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round of the playoffs. Fisher earned a plus-minus rating of +23 during the regular season and was nominated for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, an award for the best defensive forward. He finished second to Jere Lehtinen of the Dallas Stars and Rod Brind'Amour of the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

In the 2006–07 season, Fisher scored 22 goals and reached a personal best of 26 assists and 48 points. He missed part of the season due to a left knee injury. Fisher helped the Senators reach the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in five games. He posted career-high playoff totals of 5 goals, 5 assists, and 10 points in 20 games.

With one year left on his contract, Fisher signed a five-year, $21 million extension with the Senators before the 2007–08 season. He set a career-high with 23 goals that season but missed the playoffs after injuring his left knee in a game against the New York Islanders.

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

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 stated that if the Predators won a playoff series, the Senators would receive a third-round pick, and a second-round pick if they won two or more playoff series. The Predators won their first-round series but lost their second-round series to the Vancouver Canucks, resulting in the Senators receiving a third-round pick. Fisher said Ottawa’s management chose to accept the trade so he could be closer to his wife, country singer Carrie Underwood.

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

Fisher won the 2012 NHL Foundation Player Award, given to an NHL player who demonstrates commitment, perseverance, and teamwork to improve lives in their community.

On July 7, 2014, the Predators announced Fisher had ruptured his Achilles tendon during training. This injury kept him out for four to six months and caused him to miss the start of the 2014–15 season. Fisher finished the season with 19 goals and 39 points in 59 games. Before becoming an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2015, Fisher signed a two-year, $8.8 million contract extension with the Predators.

On December 1, 2015, Fisher suffered a lower-body injury in a game against the Arizona Coyotes. He was placed on injured reserve and did not skate again until December 19. On March 2, 2016, Fisher played in his 1,000th game. On May 5, 2016, he scored in triple overtime of Game 4 of the Western Conference Semi-finals, helping the Predators beat the San Jose Sharks 4–3 and tie the series at 2–2. This game became the longest in Nashville franchise history.

On September 7, 2016, Fisher was named the sixth captain of the Predators after previous captain Shea Weber was traded. Fisher led the Predators to the 2017 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. On August 3, 2017, Fisher announced his retirement from the NHL in a letter to Predators fans. He became the first Predators captain to retire with the team.

On January 31, 2018, Fisher announced he would end his retirement to help the Predators compete for the Stanley Cup. He practiced with the team and signed a one-year contract before the February 26 trade deadline. In his final season, Fisher scored 2 goals and 4 points in 16 games with the Predators and 1 goal in 12 playoff games. Fisher retired for the second time on May 12, 2018, shortly after the Predators were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Winnipeg Jets.

Personal life

Fisher was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, to parents Jim and Karen. He is a devout Christian and has two brothers, Rob and Gregory (also known as "Bud"), and one sister, Meredith. Fisher's uncle is David Fisher, who previously worked as a chaplain for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. Fisher's brother, Gregory, is a hockey player. He plays as a goaltender and attended Quinnipiac University, where he played in the ECAC. On October 23, 2009, Gregory took over as the starting goaltender during a practice session for the Senators after the team's usual goaltender, Pascal Leclaire, became ill.

During the off-season, Fisher spent time helping with hockey camps in his hometown of Peterborough, as well as in Kingston and Ottawa, through Hockey Ministries International. He has also taught at the Roger Neilson Hockey Camp as a guest instructor.

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. Fisher married Underwood on July 10, 2010, at The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation, in Greensboro, Georgia. Over 250 people attended the wedding. During their first dance, Underwood surprised Fisher by having their favorite artist, Brandon Heath, perform his song "Love Never Fails." In February 2015, Underwood gave birth to their first child, a son. In January 2019, she gave birth to their second son.

In March 2019, Fisher became a citizen of the United States.