Today In NHL History - Jiri Fischer's Heart Attack

On November 21st in 2005, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer collapsed on the players bench after suffering a heart attack 12 minutes into a match against the Nashville Predators causing play to be whistled as medical staff sprang into action to save the Czech's life. Unconscious for six minutes, team doctors eventually resuscitated Fischer employing a combination of CPR and the use of an automatic defibrillator before transporting the 1998 first round draft pick to a Detroit area hospital. He was released two days later.

A week after the collapse, Fischer endured an abnormal cardiac rhythm while resting at home, forcing the 2002 Stanley Cup champ to swap his roster spot for a position as Detroit's Director of Player Development.

The incident marks the first time the NHL postponed a game due to injury. A full makeup game was played on January 23, 2006, spotting Nashville their 1-0 lead from the original outing. Nashville maintained that one goal margin to beat Detroit by a score of 3-2.

That's today in NHL history.