Per The Athletic’s Max Bultman:
At [28 years of] age, Fischer could have had plenty of good professional playing years ahead of him, in his role as a trusted checker, penalty-killer and locker room glue guy. But increasingly, he had found himself being pulled in another direction.
“Over the last couple years, I think I just look at my life and what makes me happy, and being around family and kind of my life in Scottsdale — some of my friends here are really close with me, and I have a pretty small group out here, and honestly it’s just more so a decision of moving on into another chapter of my life,” Fischer said on a phone call Thursday night. “I wish there was a big reasoning why, but in the end, I’m very thankful for the career I had, but just personally I think I know it’s time for a new chapter in my life.”
Fischer wasn’t ready to share specifics about that next chapter publicly just yet, beyond that he’s moving on to a business opportunity in the golf world with a close friend in Arizona.
Fitting for an NHL role player, Fischer would have been content to simply fade into the background as he moved on from the sport. But in making this decision — an uncommon one for a player so young — he also wanted to say “thank you to all my teammates, and trainers and coaches.”
“I’m very thankful for all the people I’ve come across, and I’d tell you right now: I didn’t get here on my own,” Fischer said. “It makes me look back and just appreciate the whole journey, and it makes me very thankful for it all.”
Continued (paywall)
