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Emily Kaplan, ESPN 6y

Red Fisher, former Montreal Canadiens beat writer, dies at 91

NHL, Montreal Canadiens

Legendary hockey journalist Red Fisher died on Friday. He was 91.

Fisher covered the Montreal Canadiens for 57 years, most notably for the Montreal Gazette, which confirmed Fisher's death with a close family friend. He retired in 2012, at age 85.

"He was the best of his time," Canadiens Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden wrote in an email to the Montreal Gazette, "and his time lasted a very long time."

Last month, Fisher was named to the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest civilian honors. Fisher, who covered 17 of the Canadiens' Stanley Cups, was inducted into the media wing of the Pro Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985. He won three Canadian National Newspaper Awards

In 2017, the Professional Hockey Writers Association introduced the Red Fisher Award, handed to the top beat reporter of the year. Fisher was the PHWA's longest-serving beat reporter.

According to a 2001 Sports Illustrated profile, Fisher was offered the St. Louis Blues general manager job in the 1970s, "but he turned it down, figuring he was made for the long haul of the sports page, not the revolving door of the hockey executive."

Fisher's wife of 69 years, Tillie, died on Jan. 9. He is survived by two children.

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