Red Fisher
Fisher in December 2009
Born
Saul Fisher

(1926-08-22)22 August 1926
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died19 January 2018(2018-01-19) (aged 91)
OccupationSports journalist
Years active1955–2012
Spouse
Tillie Fisher
​
​
(m. 1948; died 2018)​

Saul "Red" Fisher, CM (22 August 1926 – 19 January 2018) was a Canadian sports journalist who wrote about the National Hockey League and the Montreal Canadiens in his newspaper column. Fisher received the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award in 1985.[1] He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1999,[2] and became a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) in 2017.[3]

Biography

Fisher was born in Montreal in 1926 and was given the nickname "Red" for the colour of his hair as a young man.[4]

Fisher began his hockey reporting for The Montreal Star on 17 March 1955, the night of the Richard Riot.[5] He remained as writer and sports editor until the Star's demise in 1979.[5] He then joined the Montreal Gazette as sports editor (for a short time), where his columns continued to appear.[6]

He covered the Montreal Canadiens when they won five Stanley Cups in a row in the 1950s, and during their dynasty years in the 1960s and 1970s.[7] Fisher said Habs legend Dickie Moore was his closest friend.[8] He was also at the 1972 Summit Series between NHL players and the Soviet national team.[6] Fisher was known for his "no-nonsense approach" to his career, such as his refusal to talk to rookies and walk away if a player answered his questions with cliches.[6]

Fisher served as president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association from 1968 to 1970.[9] He was the longest-serving beat writer to cover an NHL team. Over his career, he worked for ten editors and publishers, and won the Canadian National Newspaper Award three times.[7] His retirement was announced by Gazette publisher Alan Allnutt in a column on 8 June 2012.[10] He continued to write guest articles for the Gazette until his death.[8]

Fisher died at the age of 91 on 19 January 2018.[11] His wife of 69 years, Tillie Fisher, had died ten days earlier.[6]

Books

  • Fisher, Red (15 October 1994). Hockey, Heroes and Me. McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 978-0-7710-3147-2.

References

  1. ↑ "Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award Winners". Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 30 December 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2006.
  2. ↑ "Red Fisher (biography)". International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 11 November 2006.
  3. ↑ "Order of Canada list announced". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  4. ↑ Red's hockey reporting gets the gold; Red Fisher has covered 17 of Habs' Stanley Cup titles. Boone, Mike. Star – Phoenix [Saskatoon, Sask] 28 August 2010: B.4.
  5. 1 2 "Long-time Montreal Canadiens reporter Red Fisher dead at 91". Sportsnet. The Canadian Press. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Montreal Gazette sports reporter Red Fisher dies at 91". Montreal CTV News. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Red Fisher 1928-2018". The Athletic. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  8. 1 2 Fisher, Red Red Fisher: Remembering great friend and Habs legend Dickie Moore, dead at age 84 Montreal Gazette. 20 December 2015
  9. ↑ "About the PHWA". Professional Hockey Writers' Association. 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  10. ↑ Allnutt, Alan (8 June 2012). "Legendary Fisher Calls it a Career". Montreal Gazette.
  11. ↑ "Remembering Red Fisher's unmatched personality and flair". Sportsnet. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
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