Red Wings' Fischer much improved

CBC Sports

Defenceman Jiri Fischer was described as being "in great spirits" by Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland after suffering a seizure on the bench during Monday's game against the Nashville Predators.

• RELATED: Jiri Fischer bio

Jiri Fischer's heart stopped when he suffered a seizure at the team bench. (CP Photo/Larry MacDougal)

"It's been a tough 12 hours for our organization," Holland told reporters at Joe Louis Arena on Tuesday afternoon.

"The great news is that Jiri Fischer is doing very, very well."

Fischer, 25, is listed in good condition at Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he will undergo tests the next two days to help determine the cause of the convulsions that preceded his collapse.

Fischer required CPR and the use of a defibrillator to revive his heartbeat before being removed on a stretcher with 7:31 left in the opening period.

Red Wings physician Dr. Tony Colucci described Fischer's first night in hospital as "uneventful", revealing that his blood pressure and heart rate tests showed nothing unusual.

Dr. Colucci also credited the quick response and the presence of an AED monitor at the arena for the positive outcome.

"When anybody's heart stops or they stop breathing, I always have a concern that they may not come back," Colucci said.

Play was halted immediately and the teams returned to their respective dressing rooms as medical personnel tended to Fischer.

Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan stayed behind to escort Fischer's fiancee, Avery, across the ice.

Officials later decided to postpone the game, with Nashville leading 1-0 on Greg Johnson's third goal of the season at 11:28.

Holland confirmed that both teams will work with the NHL to determining an appropriate make-up date.

"There was no interest in our locker room in playing that game last night," he said.

Fischer missed a pair of practices in September 2002 upon being diagnosed with a heart abnormality, but passed a stress test.

"There is a little abnormality, but nothing that will stop me from playing," he said at the time.

"It's nothing that will bother me emotionally. I wasn't scared about the abnormality.

"But I was scared about not playing hockey again. That was a shock for me."

When asked whether the incident in 2002 could have contributed to Monday's incident, Holland stated that U.S. federal law prevented him from publicly talking about Fischer's previous medical history.

But Dr. Colluci figured that the cause was probably cardiac, not neurological, in nature.

Fischer has three goals and eight points in 22 games this season, his sixth with Detroit.

The Czech native has totalled 11 goals and 60 points in 305 NHL games since being drafted 25th overall by Detroit in 1998.

Fischer helped the Red Wings capture the Stanley Cup during the 2001-02 campaign.

with files from CP Online