Fernando Pisani

Fernando Pisani (born Fernando Antonio Pisani on December 27, 1976) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger.

Playing Career
After posting 103 points in 58 games with the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), Fernando was drafted in the eighth round (195th overall) by his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers in the 1996 NHL Entry Draft. Upon being drafted, he played four years of collegiate hockey for Providence College.

In 2000–01, the Oilers assigned Fernando to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. He spent two seasons in Hamilton, before being called up in his third AHL season in 2002–03.

On February 3, 2003, Fernando scored his first NHL goal in a 2-1 win against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

Fernando finished the season with the Oilers, playing in 35 games with 13 points. He is generally considered a "late bloomer" because he did not see his first NHL action until he was 27 years old.

Due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Fernando went overseas to Europe and played in the Swiss Nationalliga A and Italian Serie A. As NHL play resumed in 2005–06, he scored a career-high 18 goals, 19 assists and 37 points.

Although the Oilers entered the playoffs as the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference, they embarked on a cinderella run to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Fernando became a playoff hero in the process, significantly elevating his game. Against the first-seeded Detroit Red Wings, he scored two third period goals (his fourth and fifth of the series) in game six, series-clinching 4-2 victory.

Advancing to the second round against the San Jose Sharks, Fernando recorded another two-goal effort, including the game winner, in a 6-3 game five win.

Reaching the finals against Carolina, the Oilers faced elimination in the fifth game. Going into overtime on the penalty kill, Fernando intercepted a pass and scored his second goal of the game on a breakaway to stave off elimination. It was the first time in Stanley Cup Finals history that an overtime game was decided by a shorthanded goal.

Fernando then scored the Oilers' only goal in a losing game seven effort. He nearly tied the game with three minutes left to go in regulation off a Raffi Torres rebound, but was denied a seemingly sure-goal by Carolina goalie Cam Ward.

Fernando finished the playoffs with a league-leading 14 goals and 5 game-winners, nearly matching his regular season output of 18 goals in 80 games. He was re-signed by the Oilers in the off-season to a four-year, $10 million contract on July 1, 2006.

Fernando followed his 2006 playoff performance with a 28-point season in 2006–07, but the Oilers failed to qualify for the post-season. Prior to the start of the 2007–08 season, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, sidelining him for the first 26 games of the campaign.

Fernando returned to the Oilers lineup on December 2, 2007 and was nominated for the Bill Masterton Trophy (which is given for perseverance and dedication to hockey) at the end of the season.

The award was subsequently given to Jason Blake of the Toronto Maple Leafs (who at the start of the season in October, had been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia), but he still managed to play all 82 games.

An injury shortened 2008-09 NHL Season saw Fernando suit up for only 38 games, scoring seven goals to go with eight assists.

After becoming an unrestricted free agent, Fernando signed a one-year deal with the reigning Stanley Cup champions the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2010–11 season.

On January 1, 2012, the Swedish team Södertälje SK of the HockeyAllsvenskan announced that Fernando would join the team in the coming weeks, but on January 10th, Fernando broke the contract, stating that he did not think he was at a level where he could contribute effectively.

Records

 * June 14, 2006: the First player to score a shorthanded overtime goal in Stanley Cup Finals history

Personal Life
Fernando attended St. Cecilia Junior High School and Archbishop O'Leary Catholic High School with Sheldon Souray.

He and his wife Heidi have two sons and a daughter. Fernando holds dual citizenship with Canada and Italy. He derives Italian citizenship through his Italian-born father.