New mindset paved Fischer’s path to draft

After suffering a slew of injuries in the first two seasons of his WHL career, Medicine Hat Tigers forward Zach Fischer opted to re-invent his on-ice persona, and it paid off in the fifth round of last weekend’s NHL draft.

The Lloydminster product tacked on 27 pounds of muscle in the off-season and returned to the ice with a chip on his shoulder, looking to make up for lost time after seeing just 89 games over the past two years.

The transformation took Fischer from a fourth-line energy role to a place on Medicine Hat’s top line, while establishing himself as one of the league’s most powerful enforcers in a 34goal season, and eventually into the Calgary Flames system as the 140th pick of Saturday’s draft.

According to the man himself, it all started with a mindset.

“Coming off a tough season two years ago with all those injuries — just never getting into a groove and not being able to prove myself, it was hard going into the off-season,” said Fischer, who was undrafted in the WHL. “I didn’t know what to expect going into this year, I was expecting big things but I didn’t expect to have this much success. I just put my mind to it, went with it and just played my hockey game.”

Fischer collected just 12 goals and 11 assists in his first two seasons with the Tigers, but that all changed when the puck dropped last September. The now 6-foot-2, 207-pound winger potted his first career hat trick in Medicine Hat’s home opener at the Canalta Centre and rarely cooled down, finishing second on the team in goals scored with 34 while adding 25 assists to dwarf his previous his totals from previous years — all while racking up 145 penalty minutes with 13 fighting majors — and the Flames took notice.