Carrie Underwood rehearses on Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards," which will broadcast live on the ABC Television Network on Wed., Nov. 11th, 8-11PM/ET. Photographer: John Russell / CMA

Carrie Underwood has done her best to keep her private life as private as possible, but the news of her engagement took just hours to become public knowledge.

Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher asked her on Sunday to marry him, The Ottawa Citizen reports. Carrie said yes, though no date has been announced.

“We’re both obviously excited and very happy,” Mike told The Citizen.

The night before he popped the question, Carrie was in attendance when Mike took part in his team’s 4-1 victory against the Minnesota Wild at Ottawa’s Scotiabank Place. The venue is an important one in the couple’s history: They met backstage when she performed at the arena in March 2008 during her first headlining tour.

Carrie and Mike have been so reticent about taking the relationship public that when a scoreboard once flashed footage of Carrie in a private box with his family during an NHL game, she ducked out of view of the camera. She did, however, acknowledge him in the liner notes to her latest album, Play On, referring to him as “No. 12,” the number on his game jersey.

“You are the most amazing addition to my life!” she wrote. “You are such a wonderful person and have had such an amazing hand in the building of this album and in the growth of me as a person. I love you so much! You make my life better in every way! I thank God for you every day.”

The engagement adds to a rush of positive year-end events for Carrie. Her debut CD, Some Hearts was ranked No. 1 in Billboard’s list of the Top Country Albums of the decade, while “Before He Cheats” ranked No. 14 among the decade’s Hot Country Songs. She was the only female to appear in the Top 20 on the Songs list. “Carrie Underwood: An All-American Holiday Special” re-airs on FOX Tuesday, and she appears Wednesday on the CBS special “A Home For The Holidays,” which also features Faith Hill and Reba McEntire. Carrie sings her current single, “Temporary Home,” in both programs.

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