Vernon Fiddler

Playing career

Undrafted, Fiddler played in the Western Hockey League with the Kelowna Rockets and the Medicine Hat Tigers before turning pro in 2001. As a free agent, Fiddler played the 2001–02 season with the Roanoke Express of the ECHL and the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League.

On May 6, 2002, Fiddler was signed by the Nashville Predators and was assigned to affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. He later made his NHL debut with the Predators in November 2002, and played 19 NHL games during the 2002–03 season. In the 2003–04 season Fiddler helped the Admirals win the Calder Cup. Fiddler spent the next 2 years playing between the Predators and the Admirals before playing his first full NHL season in 2006–07.

On July 1, 2009, after playing 305 games for the Predators, Fiddler signed as a free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes. He recorded his first career NHL hat trick on November 12, 2010, against Miikka Kiprusoff of the Calgary Flames.

Fiddler signed with the Dallas Stars as a free agent to a three-year contract on July 1, 2011.

On July 2, 2014, after testing free-agency, Fiddler re-signed with the Stars on a two-year contract. During his tenure with the Stars, Fiddler immersed himself amongst the leadership group as an alternate captain.

On February 29, 2016, Fiddler played in his 800th regular season NHL game. Fiddler assisted on Dallas' first goal and later scored the tying goal with 1:31 left in the third period to send the game into overtime. Fiddler and the Stars would go on to lose 3-2 in overtime to the Detroit Red Wings. Fiddler is one of two active undrafted players who have played in 800 career NHL games. The other being Alexandre Burrows.

Fiddler scored his 100th career NHL goal on March 4, 2016, as a member of the Dallas Stars. The empty net goal came in a win against the New Jersey Devils.

On July 1, 2016, after five seasons with the Stars, Fiddler signed a one-year $1.25 million free agent contract with the New Jersey Devils. In the 2016–17 season, Fiddler struggled to find his offensive games as the Devils' fourth-line centre. Having contributed with just 3 points in 39 games, he was traded by the Devils, back to the Predators in exchange for a 4th-round pick in the 2017 draft on February 4, 2017.

Fiddler announced his retirement from the NHL on September 13, 2017 in a Players Tribune article.

Community involvement

Throughout his NHL career, Fiddler has been involved with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a way to honour his sister who died from leukemia. Vernon and his wife, Chrissy, created a childrens foundation called "Fidd's Kids." Fiddler created the foundation while playing for the Dallas Stars. Through a partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas, the foundation donates 12 tickets to each home game to local children. In 2015, Fiddler was voted by his teammates as their nominee for the National Hockey League's King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The annual award goes to the player "who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community."

Native heritage

Vernon Fiddler is of Metis decent and is one of 9 current NHL players with Native roots. The other players include Carey Price (Dakelh), T.J Oshie (Ojibwe), Rene Bourque (Metis), Cody McCormick (Chippewa), Dwight King (Metis), Kyle Chipchura (Metis), Jordan Nolan (Ojibwe), and Michael Ferland (Cree). Fiddler is a member of the Metis Museum along with both current and former NHL players Arron Asham, Rene Bourque, Brad Chartrand, Ronald Delorme, Magnus Flett, Roderick Flett, Dwight King, Vic Mercredi, Richard Pilon, Wade Redden, Sheldon Souray, and Francis St. Marseille.

Family

Vernon is the son of Bob Fiddler. He is married to Chrissy Fiddler and the couple has two children, son Blake, born July 2007 in Nashville, and daughter Bella.