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Carrie Underwood tears up over Mike Fisher's sweet trade story

Sunaya Sapurji
Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher and country music star Carrie Underwood.
Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher and country music star Carrie Underwood.

The reality of hockey, as a business, can be quite brutal. Players are often without the comforts of home and family for long periods of time.

In the NHL where wins and losses determine job security for players and management, it can be especially cutthroat. So it’s nice to see instances where management makes hockey decisions based on personal lives – and reuniting players with their families.

Earlier this week, player Mike Fisher recounted one such heartwarming tale for The Players’ Tribune. In it he recounts how back in 2011, then-Ottawa Senators General Manager Bryan Murray broke the news that he was being trade to Nashville – so that he could be with his wife, country music superstar Carrie Underwood.

I think all I could muster to Bryan in response was, “O.K.”

But then Bryan said something that changed my life completely. For the better.

“I’ve got some good news for you, though.” he said. “You’re going to Nashville.”

Oh my goodness. Talk about some life-changing words. I could have been going to 28 other cities, but I was actually going to Nashville, where I could finally be with my wife full-time.

Carrie and I had gotten married the previous July, and because she’s a country music singer, she has to be doing her thing in Nashville for most of the year. So we had been going back and forth between Ottawa and Nashville. As a newlywed couple, it wasn’t easy.

I knew I was incredibly blessed to be going to Nashville. When I was packing up my stuff to go to the airport, I got a call from Eugene Melnyk, the owner of the Senators. He thanked me for my time in Ottawa, and then he said something I will never, never forget.

He said, “You know Fish, I just wanted you to be with your wife.”

The story was enough to move Underwood to tears:

Fisher went on to become the captain of the Nashville Predators and the Senators received draft picks in return.