Lukas Fischer, son of former Red Wing Jiri Fischer, signs a contract

Lukas Fischer, son of former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer, has signed a contract with the OHL's Sarnia Sting for the balance of this season.

The 16 year old Fischer was drafted by the Sting in 11th round of the 2022 OHL Priority Draft and had been courted by NCAA colleges in the United States before ultimately committing to the Sting and the OHL. He'll make his debut tomorrow evening when the Sting take on the Windsor Spitfires. The early scouting report on Fischer is that he could be one of the top prospects available for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.

If you're wondering why Fischer was drafted so late in the OHL Draft, it's because most OHL teams believed he was committed to playing college hockey in the NCAA. He was drafted 6th overall in the USHL by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders because he'd be able to retain his college eligibility to play in that league. All of this is to say that Fischer is a very hot commodity in the junior/college hockey world and the Sting scored BIG TIME by convincing him to join their team. 

NHL fans will probably remember Lukas' father Jiri as a huge, steadying presence on the Red Wings blue line from 1999 - 2006. He suffered a cardiac episode on the bench and collapsed during play in 2006 and was never able to return to action. After suffering the episode it was deemed simply too risky for the elder Fischer to continue his career. It was at that point that he turned his focus to the development of his two sons, Lukas and Braiden a 20 year old defenseman for the University of St. Thomas.

Maybe the most intriguing attribute about Lukas is the fact that at 16 years old he already stands 6'3". His father stood at 6"5' during his playing days and Braiden towers over both of them at 6'7". I can just see the scouts drooling now over the size potential for Lukas when he finally fills out at about 20 or 21 years of age.

As with all junior-aged prospects though, scouts would be wise not to get their hopes up. The naked truth of scouting players this young is that they're literally children and there's no telling how their physical, mental and emotional development will shake out. But, Lukas Fischer is definitely a player worth keeping an eye on over the next two seasons.