Just hours before one of the most chaotic days in recent college hockey history that eventually saw Northeastern make the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid, the Huskies received a verbal commitment from one of the top defenseman prospects in the 2004 birth year class.
Michael Fisher, a 6-foot-3, 195 pound right shot defenseman playing at St. Mark’s School in Massachusetts, flipped his commitment from Princeton to Northeastern, adding one of the most talented players in prep hockey to the Huskies’ pipeline. Fisher, who captains the St. Mark’s team, put up 50 points (13 goals) in just 28 games at the prep level this season, including a 22-game point streak containing three hat tricks at one point. He is considered to have pro-ready size and upside, being ranked #38 overall by EliteProspects, #44 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, and 53rd overall by TSN’s Craig Button. He is expected to be a top-90 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Scouts, coaches, and talent evaluators all drool over Fisher’s skill, ability, and upside. The first thing they point to is his skating ability, considered one of his best tools, particularly for a player his size. The combination of skating, size, and being a right-shot defenseman led one evaluator to call him “a unicorn,” implying there aren’t many players who can do what he can. The New England Hockey Journal consistently rated him among the top ’04s and frequently as the top defenseman in prep hockey, stating his “defense-first mindset goes well with his mobility, reach and steady hands to make hard, accurate outlet passes. His fluid footwork and aggressive stick make him difficult to beat 1-on-1 and he keeps things simple. Has a pro-style game and body already, and we think he’s only going to get better.” Multiple evaluators at the NEHJ commented on his play as a defensive, shutdown-type defenseman.
In a feature by Liam Flaherty in the NEHJ last month, Fisher’s coach at St. Mark’s, Carl Corazzini, compared his skillset to former St. Mark’s defenseman and current Harvard defenseman Ian Moore, who was a 3rd-round draft pick by the Anaheim Ducks in 2020. In the same article, Corazzini heaped on more praise, saying “What he’s done in the last month, I haven’t seen it at the prep level in a while. He’s just taking over games.” For his success this season, the NEHJ named Fisher their Defenseman of the Year and First Team All-Prep. He was also named as a top New England prospect for the 2022 NHL Draft by Jeff Cox, which gives Northeastern five players in his top ten.
After graduating from St. Mark’s this spring, Fisher is expected to play one season with the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League in 2022-23 before enrolling to Northeastern in Fall 2023. He would join what’s shaping up to be a loaded incoming class, including Ben Yurchuk, Grayson Badger, James Fisher (no relation), and Cameron Whitehead. Current and Huskies who played in Youngstown include Julian Kislin, Matt DeMelis, and Ryan Shea.
Congrats to Michael on his commitment! We are looking forward to following his development as we await his arrival to Matthews Arena.
As always, go Huskies!