Long before he stood behind the bench at the Winter Olympics, Patrick Fischer was a teenager lacing up his skates in Carman.
The head coach of Switzerland’s men’s hockey team returned to the Olympic stage in February, capping a journey that decades earlier included a formative year in the small Manitoba town.
At 16, Fischer left Switzerland to attend high school at Carman Collegiate and immerse himself in Canadian hockey culture. He stayed with the Leslie family — Bob and Barbara and their sons Boe and Nate — who had previously lived overseas and built ties with the Fischers.
Bob and Barbara, who now live in Vancouver, have remained in touch with Fischer over the years. They first met when Barbara was on a teaching sabbatical and Bob was coaching hockey in Zug, Switzerland — the city where Fischer was born.
“Patty was your normal 12-year-old kid,” Bob recalled. “He loved sports, he loved his family and he loved hanging out with his friends.”
Four years later, Fischer’s parents were transferred for work to the southern United States, where opportunities to play hockey were limited. Wanting to keep their son’s passion for the sport alive, they reached out to the Leslies, who were now living back in Manitoba.
“He wanted to keep playing hockey and we had a place for him here in Carman,” Bob said. “It was an easy decision and he quickly became like one of our sons.”
Barbara said Fischer quickly adapted to the Canadian way of life, making friends, navigating the school system and continuing to develop his English.
“He had a lot of self-confidence and a great personality, so he fit in well,” she said. “He already knew the family, so it was just a matter of him getting to enjoy life and school.”
Both Bob and Barbara said Fischer’s outgoing personality helped him integrate easily into the Carman community, which offered plenty of academic, athletic and social opportunities.
Fischer joined Carman Collegiate’s hockey team, which Bob coached at the time. The school also hosted several other exchange students that year, creating opportunities for students to learn about different cultures and form international friendships.
For Boe Leslie, the connection with Fischer had already been years in the making.
“I always like to say this — by the time he got to Carman when we were 16, we had already been like brothers for four years,” Boe said. “Once he arrived in Carman, he fit in like he had grown up there his whole life. He has never been shy. He talked to everyone. He also knew that his year in Carman was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and he made the most of it.”
Decades later, Fischer’s career would take him from professional rinks in Switzerland to the National Hockey League and, ultimately, to the Olympic bench.
After leaving Carman, Fischer went on to play 14 seasons in Switzerland’s top professional league before transitioning into coaching. He eventually rose through the ranks to lead Switzerland’s national men’s team, guiding the country into international competition against the world’s best.
For Boe, many of the memories from that year have nothing to do with the spotlight Fischer stands in today.
He recalls playing badminton, hockey and soccer together, and said Fischer quickly became part of the community.
“The town welcomed him with open arms and he loved it,” Boe said.
The friendship has endured over the decades. The two still meet up when their travels allow.
“When we see each other, it’s always like we never missed a beat,” he added.
Nate, who was 14 at the time, said adjusting to life with what felt like a second brother came naturally.
“Patty didn’t hold back,” he said. “He could drive my mom crazy but make her laugh at the same time. He taught our family how to be both a ‘high performer’ and the class clown at the same time.”
For him, simply sharing the ice remains one of the biggest highlights of that year.
“When he’s on the world stage with the Swiss national team and I see him on TV, it often prompts me to send him a text congratulating him or giving him a jab,” Nate said. “Watching Patty’s success over his career always reminds me that we can be hyper-focused on our personal success while also choosing not to take life too seriously. The Patty Manitobans see on TV at the Olympics is the exact same guy who laughed his way through Grade 11 at Carman Collegiate.”
Fischer’s year in Manitoba is widely seen as a period of personal growth — one that required independence, adaptability and resilience. Leaving home at a young age helped broaden his perspective and, Bob said, gave him tools that would later help him connect with teammates and players from Canada once he returned to Switzerland.
The Leslies never imagined the teenager who once lived in their home would one day coach at the Olympics, but his determination made his success less surprising.
“He worked very hard to establish his career,” Bob said. “He took full advantage of his opportunities and I’m happy he has done so well.”
Looking back, both Bob and Barbara say it’s difficult to sum up the impact Fischer’s year in Carman had on their family.
“As any family who has had a connection to an exchange student would say, our lives have been enriched,” Barbara said. “And those who knew Patty would feel the same. For us, it was more than a short year — it’s been decades.”
