Inside the Press Box: Jiri Fisher

Storming the Crease is conducting a series of interviews with people who cover (or work for) the Caps and the NHL. You can find a link to the series archives on the right sidebar.  Today's 30th installment: Voice of America reporter Jiri Fisher.

1. How did you start covering the Caps?

I started to cover the NHL almost two decades ago as a reporter for Czechoslovakian service of Voice of America here in Washington, D.C. Ice hockey is big in Europe, particularly in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Germany and many other countries.

The former Czechoslovakian service used to have a feature during the hockey season called "Czechs and Slovaks in the NHL." We covered the NHL in general, and obviously focused on the players from the former Czechoslovakia and Russia. I am talking about many years ago when Czech players like Michael Pivonka, Jaroslav Svejkovski, Jan Benda, and indeed a brilliant Slovakian star, Peter Bondra, and another Slovak, Richard Zednik were on the Caps.

Later on the Caps, George McPhee and Ted Leonsis brought another Czech superstar, Jaromir Jagr, here and traded for Robert Lang, Frantisek Kucera and others. So, you can see we were always busy reporting about these guys and the rest of European, American and Canadian players on the visiting teams.

2. How many languages do you speak and do you feel that's helped you in covering a team with so many countries represented?

Besides my native Czech language, I speak Slovak. We had to learn in school in the harsh days of the communist Russian language. I am not fluent in Russian at all, but I can understand almost everything and, in the time of need, I can fluently ask for "bottle of vodka." I speak some German, Polish and Croatian.

Has the languages helped me? Indeed, it helps you to communicate effectively and gives you a better understanding about people from different countries and different cultures.

3. How long have you been working for Voice of America and what other responsibilities do you have?

I have been working for VOA for 25 years. At the present time, I work as a multimedia executive producer in the SAD Division. We broadcast mainly to Afghanistan in the Pashto and Dari languages, to Pakistan in Urdu and Pashto, to India in Hindi and to Bangladesh in Bangla. It's a very important region for all of us in the USA.

4. What are some of your favorite hockey-related memories?

Without hesitation, I have to say that the best hockey memory is connected to the two Stanley Cup finals I have covered. Particularly, when the Capitals got to the 1998 finals against the Detroit Red Wings. It took 24 long years for the Capitals to make it to the Stanley Cup finals. It was an absolutely awesome experience -- and I hope that this year we'll be there again.

I am still humbled and I feel strongly what a great honor and privilege I have to able to watch the game from the press box and, after the game, go to the locker room and interview the best hockey players in the world and pass the message to our audience. It's a very cool experience!

5. What occupies your time when you're not working?

Besides bicycling, water sports and pick-up hockey, it’s music and theater arts. I have studied directing and acting in Europe. I spent 12 years in Czech theatres and played numerous roles for television, radio and films. After arriving in the United States in 1980, I starred in the NBC soap opera, "Another World," in the long running principal role as Anton Capek and also acted on CBS' "As the World Turns."

I created "No Curtain Theatre" in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 1990 as a forum for international theatrical expression. I directed and performed in sold-out performances of Vaclav Havel's play, "Audience," with Dick Stilwell at GW's Marvin Center Theatre. (The Resident Associates Program of the Smithsonian Institution in the Baird Auditorium led to the theatre's founding.) The same year, we toured Czechoslovakia with the production, followed by performances in New York, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York City.

There is a lot of common ground between team sports and producing/directing a theater, film or TV. But that's another story for some other time. Thank for having me.