To most, hockey is just a sport. For Quinnipiac goaltender Bud Fisher, it’s a way of life.
“It’s in my blood. I’ve always wanted to play,” Fisher said. Pictures of Bud in his diapers in front of a net, holding a baseball glove in one hand and a stick in the other, surely can attest to that.
The sophomore business major from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada has been Quinnipiac’s starting net-minder ever since his first game his freshman year. The people who know him best say it is his work-ethic and drive that make him the type of player he is, and could ultimately bring him to the top.
“His attitude and determination is only going to get better, and I think he has the potential to go pro – hopefully the NHL one day,” said Mike Fisher, one of Bud’s older brothers.
Mike, 26, might know a thing or two about the NHL, considering he plays in it. Mike, a center for the Ottawa Senators, is currently playing in his seventh season in the league. As of Dec. 2, Mike has 76 career goals, and helped the Senators defeat the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in last year’s playoffs. Despite the busy schedule the NHL demands from Mike, he is still close with his family, and especially Bud.
“We’re very close,” Bud said of their relationship. “We talk once or twice a week. It’s tough sometimes because when he’s not playing I am, and I try not to call on game days.”
According to Mike, sometimes the lack of communication isn’t always because of conflicting hockey schedules.
“I try to talk to him as much as I can,” Mike said. “Not as much this year; he has a girlfriend now.” Mike and Bud do find time to talk, whether it is through the phone or Internet, and check up on how their games went. Mike had the opportunity to see Bud play last season against Union and RPI while the NHL took a break for the Olympics. He was impressed with Quinnipiac’s “neat crowd” at the games, and Quinnipiac’s “super-nice campus.”
Seeing each other play is tough for Bud and Mike with their hockey careers blossoming, but when they were younger they didn’t necessarily watch each other play; Bud and Mike would play each other.
“I used to take it easy on him when he was younger; well not quite too easy because he would make me work,” said Mike, who has six years on Bud. “But now that he’s older he’s challenging. He’s got really good hands.”
Good hands aren’t all Buds got going for him. According to his coaches his hard work, easy-going attitude, and maturity have helped him develop good leadership qualities.
“Bud has continued to progress during his time at Quinnipiac and has performed well under pressure,” said Quinnipiac men’s ice hockey coach Rand Pecknold. “He is very well liked by his teammates and has an excellent work ethic.”
All of the before-mentioned qualities certainly helped Bud post a .904 save percentage and win the second most games in the NCAA for a freshman goalie last season.
With his successes from last season and his brother’s career blossoming, Bud doesn’t worry about expectations, and focuses more on the matter at hand and his own aspirations. When asked if he felt any pressure because of his brother’s successes in the NHL he responded: “Maybe a little, but it is not a conscious pressure that I put on myself because he is there that I have to follow in his footsteps. It has always been a dream of mine as well. I just want to play hockey as long as I can because I love the game.”
