“Those three attacks are usually fatal, but for some reason, I’m still trying to figure out why they weren’t for me,” said Fischer…

Because you’re strong as an ox and twice as stubborn, Jiri.

Not a day goes by that he’s not missed, and I think the same goes for the Wings’ blue line.  He left a big hole in terms of punishing physical play, good defensive coverage, and upside on the power play-- which I think we’re still struggling to fill today.  Maybe Kindl will do it, maybe not.  Even if he does, we shouldn’t forget Jiri.  Apparently his #2’s been taken out of circulation, similar to what they’ve done for another D-man from a few years back…

...Vladdie.  I was back home in Michigan for Thanksgiving when Jiri collapsed on the bench.  My father and I were watching the game and when we saw what had happened, we both went VERY quiet and though neither of us mentioned it, we were both remembering Vladdie and hoping this wasn’t a repeat.

It’s comforting to know that for both of them, their numbers aren’t being worn, and both of them are being taken care of by the organization.  I’d still like to see Jiri back, but if we don’t, it’s good to know he still has a place with the wings.

The next morning we picked up the Snooze and saw he was all right, and breathed a sigh of relief.  Even if he’s not out on the ice, it puts everything into perspective...The Cup, the team, the fans.  Makes you thankful for miracles.  We sat down to the turkey and stuffing that Thursday and thanked whatever or whoever was out there that Jiri was still with us...and Vladdie, and Sergei.  VK/SM.  JF.  Believe.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the other end of the weight of history. on 11/02/07 at 05:02 AM ET

Below the league average, and he still counts as a puppy on the Red Wings.

For some reason, he was one of my favorites.  After his collapse, I just hoped he was going to have a long and healthy life, even if he never set foot on the ice again.

Glad to hear he is doing well.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 11/02/07 at 06:06 AM ET

No joke about the Diggers… I don’t know what the deal is with MacLeod’s paper, but they need to shell out the bucks to get him on the road with the team because I can’t stand it. The last two weeks have been pathetic without him being able to cover the team in-depth.

Posted by Nathan on 11/02/07 at 08:00 AM ET

Wow, a very moving article.  Glad to hear that Jiri is doing well....just sorry that we had to read about it in a Calgary paper and not a Detroit paper.

Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 11/02/07 at 09:31 AM ET

Baroque and Andrew: nicely said.

I never heard about the two heart attacks following the one we all saw. For anyone who has experienced life threatening medical anomalies, the repeated attacks come with mixed emotions. Obviously, it’s very scary to go through it again and again. However, you are also grateful that there is a chance to figure out what it is, that it may be symptomatic of something rather than a fluke/ divine punishment.

I’m very glad that he’s entertaining thoughts of a comeback, not only for the benefit of our blueline, but also because it keeps alive the hope of normalizing one’s life.

Finally, I’m proud to be a Wings fan at this moment. Keeping him in the organization, his number out of circulation (a weird word to use given the case), and generally taking care of our own speaks volumes.

Posted by srt on 11/02/07 at 11:43 AM ET

In my blog entry this morning, I wondered why the Wings haven’t partnered with an American organization--say, theAmerican Heart Association, for example--to get the job done of promoting proper CPR techniques (which no longer contain breathing into a person’s mouth) and making AEDs much more readily available.

I don’t get it.  Fisch, even when he claims that he was only focused on hockey before his heart attacks, was and is one of the game’s most genuine good guys, and even the most low-key fund raising program would make a significant dent…

But the Wings would rather stash Fisch and his passion for giving back to the community in the closet, a la Gordie Howe back in the day.

He’s such a great guy, and the Wings take such tremendous care of him and Vladdie...How can these not be good things to tell your fans about?  It can be done without compromising their respective privacies, and if the Wings were ever to consider adding a “goodwill ambassador” to the fold, could you think of a better guy not named Yzerman to fill the job?

The story of Fisch’s survival still makes us all smile.  I think that smile is worth proliferating.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/02/07 at 12:11 PM ET

Well said, George, and thanks for the reminder-- been a busy day, so I haven’t been able to have a gawk at Snapshots yet-- and since you update it about five times a second, I’m always afraid I’ve missed something.

I didn’t know much about Fischer outside of the rink, but given what he’s said and done since the incident, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that he’s a humanitarian and a good guy.  And between him, Vladdie, Sergei, and Yzerman, it seems like the Ilitches and the organization are doing some stellar work that they’re not obligated to do, yet giving it the Mushroom Treatment, as Gordie put it.  But if what you tell us about the Wings’ resident Lavrentiy Beria, AKA John Hahn, is true, I have to say that I’m not in the least bit surprised.  As pleasant as the stories are, they’re not ones that he can have total control over.

Still, a fundraiser or two wouldn’t hurt the organization’s image.  What’s Hahn’s excuse there?

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the gutter, gazing at the stars on 11/02/07 at 03:08 PM ET

Although George and Andrew have good points, one is always trepidatious about showcasing such good works. Not only is there a concern about privacy, as George notes, but also the icky feeling of profiting from human decency. I do, however, agree that bringing such work to light would help create a greater footprint on the Detroit landscape and even help those foundations the players help with.

There isn’t, necessarily, a conflict between marketing and altruistic work but I can empathize with the desire for reserve. Balancing the two requires both tact and creativity; given “fire on ice” Hahn hasn’t demonstrated either, and I certainly wouldn’t want his hands to soil works done out of sincere concern for the community.

Posted by srt on 11/02/07 at 03:31 PM ET

Great comments all around.

I think the conflict between “exploiting” a good cause and getting utility out of it can be reconciled.

The organization clearly takes care of their current and former players. There’s no doubt about their dedication in that respect.

The PR department could do a lot to improve their relations with the media and fans by doing benefits (dinners, signings at the mall, camps, etc.) that give all proceeds to the American Heart Association, all the while increasing the availability of the players in order to help bring back “Hockeytown”.

To me, a solution like that is not an exploitation of what happened to Fischer. It strikes the right balance between raising money to saves lives, as well as giving fans and media members an enjoyable time, with better access to the players. Those types of events should be a win-win—support a good cause, but also enhance your own image.

Posted by Nathan on 11/02/07 at 03:52 PM ET

A promotion wouldn’t require Fisch to hold ten tearful press conferences a week, re-telling the story of his near-death experience over and over again.  There’s a line between doing a spot that airs during Wings games for 20 seconds, maybe doing a presser at a rink and shaking a few hands, and giving an interview here and there and asking Fisch to make his dedication to preventing heart attack-related deaths a “day job.”

I guess the best way I can put it is this--we’re not Toronto, we’re Detroit.  There are always those who will want more and more and more dirt, but there is an achievable balance between doling out a few juicy stories to the diggers per week and asking Count Hahn to leave the PR Crypt altogether. 

The whole asking him leaving the PR Crypt wouldn’t be bad, mind you, because both journalists and bloggers know the difference between revealing facts that one might not know, like, say, how Pavel Datsyuk told Sovsport that he’s a big fan of Juventus, an Italian soccer team, and telling every “Dude, did you hear who was at Cheli’s Chili?” rumour...but in lieu of that, a slight let-up on the pressure put upon those media chains (assuming the Diggers have enthusiasm in there somewhere).

Anyway, back to the conversation at hand...I’m not talking about plastering Fisch on bill boards and milking the fact that he nearly died for every cent it can generate.  I just don’t think that having Fisch mirror what he did with the Heart and Stroke Foundation--and what he continues to do, giving two days out of one month of the year to lend his voice--with a U.S. charity of similar reputability is too much to ask.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 11/03/07 at 04:51 AM ET

Well said, George.

Hard to add on to that.

Posted by Nathan on 11/03/07 at 09:23 AM ET