Damar Hamlin brings back memories of Red Wings’ Jiri Fischer going into cardiac arrest

SAGINAW – Seeing Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin go into cardiac arrest on Monday Night Football this month brought back memories of the night Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fisher went down during a 2005 game.

Fischer also went into cardiac arrest in the first period of a Nov. 21, 2005 game against the Nashville Predators and he survived thanks to the actions of the Red Wings medial team at Joe Louis Arena.

Fisher recalled the incident Saturday night after the annual Shocks and Saves game at the Dow Event Center.

The Shocks and Saves game was played for the 15th time and pitted local health care workers against a team featuring Fischer and other NHL alumni in an effort to raise money to purchase automated external defibrillators and raise awareness for sudden cardiac arrest.

It was an AED that helped save Fischer’s life the night he collapsed on the Red Wings bench and the Shocks and Saves game has raised almost $900,000 in 15 years.

“Scary, emotional, life changing,” is the way Fischer described sudden cardiac arrest.

Fischer explained what happened to a crowd of a couple of hundred people after the Shocks and Saves game.

He was joined on the stage by Red Wings medical director Tony Calucci and team physician Greg Plagens, who were on the bench and led the effort revive Fischer.

They used an AED to shock Fischer’s heart and Fischer said he knew nothing about what happened when he later woke up in the hospital with tubes sticking out of his veins.

“I was taking a nap,” Fischer said. “I didn’t know any of this. I wake up in the hospital and I’ve got stinky hockey underwear on. I kind of looked around and thought I had a concussion.

“Thank God Tony was on the scene. As I found out later Tony had everything under control.”

The Shocks and Saves postgame discussion was the first time Fischer and Calucci had publicly discussed what happened.

They showed a video of Fischer being treated on the bench, a video of the incident involving Hamlin and another that described the difference between a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest.

Calucci took the crowd through how Fischer was treated.

“It was established he had no pulse,” Calucci said. “We initiated CPR, trying to get the paramedics to get an IV line for medication if needed. Just like the football player (Hamlin), I grabbed scissors, I cut everything off, his jersey and everything.

“It’s scary when you’re doing it, no matter who you are, no matter what training, no matter what education you have. It’s scary. You’re going to turn on this electrical unit and say, ‘Ok let’s see what it tells us.’”

Calucci also administered chest compressions and said he breathed a deep sigh of relief when Fischer took a breath after being shocked by the AED.

The doctors then put him on a gurney and took him back to the training room as the video showed teammates and coach Mike Babcock looked on.

“All the way on the left is Mike Babcock … probably thinking about the next shift,” Fischer joked.

The game ended up being canceled – Fischer said he believed it was the first time an NHL game was called off because of an injury – and it wasn’t long before owners Mike and Marian Ilitch, general manager Ken Holland and his teammates showed up at the hospital.

“Everyone was frightened,” Fischer said. “The team came in groups of four or five. The support I received was incredible.”

Fischer, a five-year veteran, obviously had to retire after the incident at age 25 but he continues to work for the Red Wings.

He worked as the club’s director of player development and today serves as director of player evaluation.

Fischer was joined in the Shocks and Saves game by former Red Wings Jason Woolley, John Ogrodnick and Derian Hatcher

Fischer urged everyone in attendance to get certified or recertified in CPR.

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