Rangers Spotlight: Jesse Fishman

Written by Nikolas Viveiros

It’s been a whirlwind past two years for winger Jesse Fishman. The Thornhill native played hockey in Finland amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and has recovered from a knee injury that ended his 2020-2021 season before it started. There’s no doubt the 19-year-old has triumphed plenty in his young career, and Rangers nation couldn’t be happier to see him back on the ice at the Aud.

Fishman’s junior career began in 2019 when he was selected 79th overall by the Rangers. He had just finished a season with the Mississauga Rebels scoring 27 points in 32 games. During his minor hockey career, Fishman went up against many of his current Ranger teammates including Mitchell Martin, Francesco Pinelli and Matthew Sop. His battles against Pinelli are something he admits is still discussed between the pair in the room.

“We still joke about who would win more draws,” laughed Fishman.

In his rookie season, Fishman enjoyed success as a 16-year-old. With the league being difficult to crack as a rookie, he featured in 48 of the team’s 63 games before the COVID shutdown. Not only did he chip in with the tenacity teams look for in their young players, but he even scored the team’s Teddy Bear goal in a contest against the London Knights. The goal rained down 11,000 bears, a number that beats any current Ranger.

“I think that one has the edge on Pinelli and Rehkopf, so I should bring that up,” joked Fishman.

When COVID shutdowns finished the 2019-2020 OHL season, Fishman began thinking of the opportunity to play in Europe. For the 2020-2021 season, he headed to Finland to suit up for Karpat U20 Akatemia, as the OHL was not returning to play. The team plays in Finland’s second-highest youth league, made up of 18 different teams from around the country. Fishman played five games for the team before their season was put to a halt due to COVID shutdowns. Though he contributed 5 goals and 7 points during his brief stay, he mostly takes away the experiences he learned from living  abroad.

“It was a once in a lifetime experience,” said Fishman. “I saw a different side of how to train and how to diet so you just learn so many things. It’s something I would recommend for future guys who are thinking about doing it.”

Months later, Fishman would find himself at his 2nd Rangers training camp in preparation for the 2021-2022 OHL season. A practice drill would lead to him crashing against the boards with his knee getting the brunt of the collision. With surgery being required, Fishman faced the reality that he would be missing another season of play.

“I would wake up at 6am to do rehab on the same things for months,” said Fishman. “I just had to tell myself there was light at the end of the tunnel and I was doing it to get back to playing the game I love.” 

Throughout his recovery from the injury, Fishman felt he learned a lot about himself as a person. The process forced him to put himself through new challenges that many don’t get to experience as a young athlete. Though sports are often built around the narrative of being physically tough, the value in the mental side of the game is something Fishman believes he took from the journey.

“I did plenty of reading throughout the injury,” Fishman said. “I focused on everything to improve my game away from just being on the ice. It made me mentally stronger.”

During his recovery, Fishman rehabbed in Toronto and wasn’t always able to be around the group. It was the moments in which he was that helped motivate him to continue working on the injury. Being around his teammates was something that helped keep his mind off the recovery, and now having the opportunity to be around them every day has made the process feel that much more rewarding.

“Being back around everyone is awesome,” said Fishman. “You can count on every player to bring you a laugh and once I’m at the rink there’s nothing better. Being able to be healthy and play hockey every day is a privilege.”

Now back in the swing of OHL hockey, Fishman finds himself on a Rangers team buzzing with confidence. The Blueshirts have won 5 of their last 6 games, and hope to ride their form into the New Year. With plenty of hockey to play, Fishman continues to help his team in whatever way he can.

“I feel like I’m improving every game and that’s something I want to keep up,” said Fishman. “I know we have the right group and I’m confident we can win. You can’t always control the results but you can control the process.”