After 18 Years, Mike Fisher Says Emotional Final Goodbye To Hockey

mfisher1212 / Instagram

May 10th served as Mike Fisher‘s last NHL game – for real this time. The former Nashville Predators captain retired from hockey after the 2016-2017 season, but after some convincing by the club, and his wife Carrie Underwood, he came out of retirement to finish out the 2017-2018 season.

The Predators ultimately got knocked out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the second round, losing to the Winnipeg Jets in Game 7, although Fisher took an injury during Game 6 and was rumored to have had surgery that same day. Either way, the Predators’ season was over and this time, Fisher was really ready to say goodbye to the sport, which he played professionally for 18 years.

I’ve milked this cow as long as it’s been able to milk,” Fisher said when he announced his retirement from the Predators for the second time, accord to The Tennessean. “It’s bone dry.”

After his retirement finally set in, Fisher took to Instagram to say a few words about his time in the NHL.

“I’m so grateful for the last 18 years. It’s hard to believe how fast the time goes. I got the chance to play and work with so many incredible people along the way,” he wrote. “God taught me some incredible life lessons through the game of hockey over the years and without the gift He gave me none of this would have been possible.”

He went on to thank the two organizations he spent his career with, the Ottawa Senators and the Nashville Predators, for the “amazing memories,” before he thanked his family and friends for sticking by him.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjC4ZPXlUx5/?taken-by=mfisher1212

The series of photos he shared included a couple of Underwood and Fisher’s 3-year-old son, Isaiah, cheering him on this season. We know his family is extremely proud of him, and are happy to have him home more often again!

Watch Underwood perform the National Anthem before one of the playoff games below.