A Dose of the Real World Jolts the NHL

Monday night's game between the Red Wings and Predators was called off after Detroit defenseman Jiri Fischer suffered an apparent life-threatening seizure.

Fischer was on the bench at the time. Team mates jumped on the ice to stop play and call for medical help. According to Detroit coach Mike Babcock, Fischer's heart stopped at some point and CPR was administered.

As of Monday night, he was reported in stable condition. "He's breathing on his own, he's responsive," said a Red Wings spokesman. "It looks like he's going to be OK."

Fischer was diagnosed with a heart abnormality in 2002, but kept playing after passing a stress test.

The issue of athletes with heart problems has been in the media lately, particularly in the NFL, where Patriots' linebacker Teddy Bruschi returned to the field nine months after suffering a mild stroke.

Everybody loved the Bruschi story. Everybody loves a comeback, how it proves that the hero's spirit cannot be vanquished, etc. etc. But Fischer's experience reminds us that an athlete's health problems are more than just a storybook device.

Perhaps the medical evidence will show that nothing could have prevented Fischer's seizure. But athletes pushing their bodies too hard and taking chances with their lives is an issue that deserves far more attention.

Update, Nov. 23: Fischer has been released from hospital. The cause of the seizure has not been fully determined, and the future of his hockey career is very much in doubt.