Vernon Fiddler Announces Retirement
Vernon Fiddler took to the pages of the Players’ Tribune to announce his retirement, ending a long and interesting career that has taken him to several destinations. Fiddler retires having played 877 regular season games, finishing in Nashville, where it all began.
Fiddler remains one of the best examples of what hard work and perseverance can get you in hockey. Not even drafted into the CHL, Fiddler lucked into a tryout in the WHL and slowly turned every opportunity into a launching pad for the next level. Undrafted again by the NHL he worked his way up from the ECHL to debut with Nashville in 2002, but wouldn’t stick right away. He’d have years of bouncing up and down from the minors, before catching on for good in 2006. He’d score 26 points that season and provide his patented solid faceoff skills and responsible defensive play. He’d receive Selke votes as one of the league’s top defensive forwards in two consecutive years at one point in his career.
Now 37, Fiddler lists the Predators’ recent Stanley Cup run as a “perfect way to finish [his] career,” but that phoning his parents after his first NHL call-up is still the highlight. He’ll now concentrate more on his own family life and kids’ passions. Even if you don’t see Blake on the CHL entry draft list in a few years, don’t count him out—the hockey world already made that mistake a few times with a Fiddler.
Devils Injury Notes
The injury bug has struck the New Jersey Devils forward core.
Veteran center Vern Fiddler will be out of the lineup for the next 3-4 weeks with a lower-body injury, while superstar Taylor Hall will miss Thursday night’s game and is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury that is unrelated to his knee surgery.
Fiddler has three points in 35 games this season. He signed a one-year, $1.25MM contract back on July 1st. With center Jacob Josefson on IR battling a concussion suffered earlier this month, look for the Devils GM Ray Shero to perhaps make a call to Albany of the AHL later this week.
Hall has 23 points in 27 games this season after being acquired from Edmonton in the first blockbuster move of June 29. He missed two weeks in November with a torn meniscus in his left knee. He had a beautiful assist in Tuesday night’s loss to the Penguins, and also took a stick to the face. Neither the prior knee injury nor the mouth are responsible for Hall’s status, according to the Devils. While Hall will miss Thursday night’s game for sure, it’s not clear how long he’ll be day-to-day or what exactly has struck him down.