Vern Fiddler

Lore & Background

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, he 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, he was signed by the Nashville Predators and assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals. He 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 he helped the Admirals win the Calder Cup. He spent the next two 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, he 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. He 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, he re-signed with the Stars on a two-year contract. During his tenure with the Stars, he immersed himself amongst the leadership group as an alternate captain. On February 29, 2016, he played in his 800th regular season NHL game. He assisted on Dallas's first goal and later scored the tying goal with 1:31 left in the third period to send the game into overtime; the Stars lost 3-2 in overtime to the Detroit Red Wings. At the time, he was one of two active undrafted players who have played in 800 career NHL games, the other being Alexandre Burrows. He scored his 100th career NHL goal on March 4, 2016, as a member of the Dallas Stars, an empty net goal in a win against the New Jersey Devils. On July 1, 2016, after five seasons with the Stars, he signed a one-year $1.25 million free agent contract with the New Jersey Devils. In the 2016–17 season, he struggled to find his offensive game as the Devils' fourth-line centre, contributing 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. At age 37, he announced his retirement from the NHL on Wednesday, September 13, 2017 in a Players Tribune article. He ended his career having played a total of 877 games in the NHL with 104 goals and 157 assists, for a total of 261 points.

Reader's Guide

Vernon Fiddler played 877 NHL games, scoring 104 goals and 157 assists for 261 points. He played for the Nashville Predators, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and New Jersey Devils. He won the Calder Cup with the Milwaukee Admirals in 2004. He was an alternate captain for the Dallas Stars. He is of Métis descent.

Did You Know?

• At the time of his retirement, he was one of 9 NHL players with Native roots and the 13th of Metis descent to play in the NHL.
• He was named the Man of the Year by the North Texas Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in 2018.