Adam Vingan

USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee

Mike Fisher is scheduled to appear in his 1,000th NHL game Thursday when the Predators host the Devils

He'll become the 23rd active player to reach 1,000

He has played 675 games with the Senators, 324 with the Predators

A hockey parent never really knows.

Through the skating lessons and out-of-town hockey tournaments that doubled as family vacations, Jim Fisher hoped but never expected that his son, Mike, would make a life out of playing the sport he loved, understanding that countless variables would have to unfold just right.

A nearly two-decade NHL career has transpired, and as the Predators center prepares to achieve a remarkable milestone, Jim Fisher can further appreciate his son's journey.

"It's an amazing career that he's had," he said. "We look back and the time's flown. I think this is maybe, I don't know, 16 years that he's been in the league now. That's a lot of hockey. It's a lot of games. It's a fantastic accomplishment for him. We're very proud of him."

Mike Fisher is scheduled to appear in his 1,000th NHL game Thursday when the Predators host the Devils, becoming the 23rd active player to reach that mark.

"It's a significant number, there's no question," Mike Fisher said. "As a hockey player, it's kind of a big number. Something that I don't know if you really think about when you come into the league at all. It's kind of one of those (things) that'll happen way down the road if you're fortunate enough to play that long, which I've been blessed and fortunate to play for quite a while now."

Five years ago, the Senators were struggling and in need of a roster reconstruction. Senators general manager Bryan Murray wasn't looking to trade Mike Fisher as he was a valuable veteran presence, but knew that it was necessary in order to better Ottawa's future.

Less than a year earlier, Mike Fisher married budding country music singer Carrie Underwood and the two planned to start a family. Several teams expressed interest ahead of the 2011 trade deadline, but Murray only had one destination in mind.

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"There was no option for me," Murray said. "I knew that Carrie was in Nashville and his life was certainly committed to her. It wouldn't have been fair to trade him anywhere else. ... I wanted to get the deal done so he could go to Nashville and be a good player there and be a happy guy because he deserved that."

Said Mike Fisher: "They had the option to trade me anywhere, so the fact that they would trade me here because they knew that's where I'd want to be — I never asked for a trade, but it couldn't have worked out any better. ... I'll never forget after the trade, the owner called me and told me, 'I just want you to go be with your wife,' and what owner does that? Or GM? And Bryan had a big part in that, too. ... Looking back, I'm very thankful for what they did and for me being able to be here. I don't want to take it for granted. I want to be appreciative of that."

In his fifth full season with the Predators, Fisher has come to embody the franchise's blue-collar ethos. He is the unquestioned leader among Nashville's forwards, thrown into every possible situation and expected to handle it with the poise of a 16-year veteran. Fisher has also entrenched himself in charitable causes throughout Nashville, knowing that his platform gives him an opportunity to enrich the lives of others.

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"I love the city and all that it has to offer," Fisher said. "The people are unbelievable. The fans are so good. ... I'm thankful for the team and how they help guys like me get involved and to do things. Hopefully, I can give back a little bit and maybe even more when I'm done playing."

Fisher will turn 36 in June with one year left on a two-year contract that he signed last summer. Of course he thinks about the future and post-hockey life. There are other pursuits that he looks forward to getting to at some point.

"I try not to look too far ahead," he said, "but at the same time, you know you're not going to play forever."

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Eventually, Fisher will have to confront that decision. For now, he continues to positively shape the Predators organization.

"Sometimes you throw out clichés like 'role model' too loosely, but I think for Mike, it's a perfect fit," Predators GM David Poile said. "When we got him, it clearly was a difference (for) our franchise — the way we played, the way we conducted ourselves. ... He has that level of pride that when he doesn't think that he's contributing on a significant basis, then he'll know that it's time to go in a different direction.

"If and when that day comes and I'm still here, I would hope that his presence in Nashville will still be great for our community, which I assume, and still be great for our hockey team."

Reach Adam Vingan on Twitter @AdamVingan.

MIKE FISHER'S NHL CAREER

Drafted: Second round (No. 44), 1998 by Ottawa Senators\

NHL debut: Oct. 2, 1999

First game with Predators: Feb. 12, 2011

Senators statistics: 675 games, 167 goals, 348 points

Predators statistics: 324 games, 86 goals, 188 points

Career accolades: 2011-12 NHL Foundation Player Award recipient (community service)

NEXT GAME

DEVILS at PREDATORS

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

TV/radio: Fox TN/102.5 FM