Mike Fisher is hanging up his skates.
The 37-year-old athlete, who began his career in the NHL with the Ottawa Senators in 1999, announced he is retiring Thursday. He wrote a letter explaining his decision for the Tennessean.
"This job I've been able to have for a majority of my life is so much fun. To help create that entertainment and to see the joy we can bring to people is such a unique and exciting opportunity. I'll miss my teammates, my coaches and the game itself," said Fisher, who joined the Nashville Predators in 2010, later becoming his team's captain. "This is the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I know I've made the right one. I've decided to retire from the NHL."
"I kept praying for peace about the next step in my life. A peace that said this is God's will for your future," he wrote. "A peace that said whether or not this was the right time to walk away."
"I don't believe it came in a single instance or some aha moment, but as time passed, I gradually became certain that it was right for me to retire. I believe God gave me the ability to play hockey, and I was helped by dozens of individuals along the way, so it's not just up to me on when it's time to say goodbye," Fisher wrote. After his team's crushing loss during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final in June, it's much tougher to leave, he confessed, "but I do so with hope."
"Endings are always tough, but I believe when something ends, there are new beginnings, new opportunities and new things to be excited for, too," Fisher wrote. "Closing a chapter like this—one that's lasted 17 years —makes me think about the support I've received my whole life from my family, friends, even people I've never met that have prayed for me throughout my career."
The centerman approached the season knowing it could be his last. "Now that it's past, I'm looking forward to a future that includes a lot more time with my family. Things change when you have kids and you have a family," explained Fisher, who has a son with Carrie Underwood. "They've supported me without question," he said, "and now it's my turn to return the favor."
After his letter was published, Underwood congratulated her husband via Instagram. "Captain @mfisher1212 I sure am going to miss watching you play and cheering you on with the rest of Smashville, but I so look forward to seeing what God has in store for you in this next chapter of your life. You've given your teammates and the game your all for so many years," the 34-year-old "Blown Away" singer wrote. "You've worked so hard and made us all so proud! Isaiah and I love you so much and are so excited to be able to have you home a lot more...We can't wait to cheer on the @predsnhl WITH you in the stands! #ThankYouSmashville #PredsFansForLife."
Fisher has yet to announce what his next career move will be. Underwood, meanwhile, wrapped the biggest tour of her career last year after performing 92 shows in seven countries.