Detroit’s Fischer Suffers a Seizure

Defenseman Jiri Fischer collapsed on the Red Wing bench late in the first period of Monday night’s game against the Nashville Predators and was taken to a Detroit hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

The team told the crowd that Fischer had a seizure and was doing fine. Coach Mike Babcock later said Fischer’s heart had stopped and had been restarted.

“They hooked up the auto defibrillator and shocked him,” Babcock said.

Fischer was given CPR at the bench by team physician Tony Colucci before being removed on a stretcher.

“It’s our understanding, the reports from the hospital, that he is fine and he will be fine,” Babcock said.

The game was stopped with 7 minutes 30 seconds left in the period. It was called off and no makeup date was announced.

Fischer, a 25-year-old from the Czech Republic, was diagnosed with a heart abnormality in September 2002, causing him to sit out two days of practice. The problem was found on an electrocardiogram as part of routine tests during the Red Wings’ preseason physicals.

Fischer later passed a stress test. He said then that his heart is a little thicker than normal.

“I wasn’t scared about the abnormality,” Fischer said at the time. “But I was scared about not playing hockey again. That was a shock for me.”

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