Mike Fisher has officially signed with the Nashville Predators, with whom he played in the Stanley Cup Final last season.
The 37-year-old forward gets a one-year, $1 million deal for the remainder of the season, the team announced.
Fisher signed a professional tryout contract in order to begin working out with the team at the end of January and planned to sign a deal ahead of the Feb. 26 trade deadline, when postseason rosters must be set. The team did not announce a timetable for Fisher to play in games.
Fisher announced the end of his 17-year NHL career on Aug. 3, both at a news conference and via a letter to fans. "Knowing we were so close to winning it all in June only makes it more difficult to leave it behind, but I do so with hope. Endings are always tough, but I believe when something ends, there are new beginnings, new opportunities and new things to be excited for, too," he wrote.
Fisher said at the start of the season that he was still navigating through a post-NHL life. "I want to take some time away to figure out what it's like not to play, just figure out what daily life's going to be like," he told The Tennessean.
The return of Fisher bolsters the Predators' already strong group of centers -- including Ryan Johansen, Kyle Turris and Nick Bonino, who was signed to replace Fisher in the offseason.
Fisher had 18 goals and 24 assists in 72 games for the Predators last season, skating 16:37 per game. He had four assists in 20 playoff games. Fisher said the team's potential to win the Stanley Cup, having lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games last June, was one factor in returning to the NHL.
