The time has come for the Minnesota Wild to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, which means it’s time for Marc-André Fleury’s final game in front of his first NHL team’s crowd on October 29 for the number 29. Despite Fleury playing for the opposing team, it’s going to be a celebration where Pittsburgh fans can show their support by purchasing t-shirts, jerseys, and special pucks to honor him.
Over the seasons of watching Fleury play, one of the things that instantly comes to mind is never hearing a bad thing about him. Usually, there’s at least one complaint about every player in the NHL, whether it be the way they play, their attitude, or their personality away from the rink, but not Fleury. Everyone who talks about him only has good things to say, and he always has a smile on his face. In this article, we’ll look back at his career in Pittsburgh, how he’s done in Minnesota, and why he deserves this special treatment despite not wanting it. We’ll start with his first-ever team, the Penguins.
Fleury Makes a Name for Himself
The first team most people think of when they hear Fleury’s name is the Penguins. He became the star in net for the Penguins for over half of his career, spanning 13 seasons. Of course, his first season wasn’t all that great, with a 4-14-2 record, and the same can be said about his second season. However, in his third season, at the age of 22, he made his mark and showed what an amazing goaltender he could be.
Fleury, put up an astonishing 40 wins that season with a record of 40-16-9, plus five shutouts and three assists. He would continue to have winning seasons, and just two seasons later, he would help lead the Penguins to the first of three Stanley Cups they would win alongside teammates and friends Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang.
He became beloved by fans and teammates alike and also became known around the NHL as the prankster. In his time with Pittsburgh, he became the goalie everyone knows today with his windmill glove saves and absolute finesse when making saves. He may be about to turn 40, but he still plays like he did in Pittsburgh.
Some may still wonder why there is so much fanfare for a goaltender who left, but his leaving was the right thing for both the player and the team at the time. He’s still a beloved player in Pittsburgh and always will be. He did amazing things both on and off the ice for the Penguins, and he’s earned the chance to have fans show what he meant to them.
Wild Get a Treat in Fleury
The Wild may not have had him first, but they will get the chance to watch him in his final year, which will be just as big of a treat. He wanted to come to Minnesota when general manager Bill Guerin made the move to acquire him in March 2022, and the fans almost immediately welcomed him into their hearts.
When watching Fleury, it’s easy to see he has an aura around him that radiates to his teammates and others around him. It’s clear he loves being in Minnesota, and he loves his teammates, as he’s mentioned many times over the four seasons he’s been with the Wild. When he joined the team after being traded, he made an immediate impact by winning nine of his 11 games played, and he looked very strong.
As he’s gotten older, it would’ve been easy for the Wild to move on from him for someone younger, but they wanted him to stay. They want their other goaltenders to learn from him, have him in the locker room, and continue to have him win games for them, which is exactly what he’s done. He’s in amazing shape for his age, and his mental game is rarely shaken, which is something he can pass to both Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt.
In a short amount of time, Fleury has become a part of Wild history, and after seeing his 1,000th game celebration last season, it’ll be interesting to see what the Wild have in store for Fleury’s final game at home. Despite his fewer minutes in a Wild jersey, he’s earned a royalty-level sendoff.
Fleury Has Earned These Moments
Many players don’t announce they plan to retire at the end of a season before it even starts. Typically, it’s a decision made after a final game, and fans don’t necessarily get to give a final sendoff. That’s not the case with Fleury. He’s been asked for some time now when he’ll retire, and he gave the answer that fans did and didn’t want to hear. Of course, everyone wants him to keep playing, but his answer of retiring at the end of this season gives fans a chance to give a proper sendoff for their beloved goaltender.
Related: Marc-André Fleury’s Case as a Hall of Famer
After all he’s done for each team he’s played on, especially the Penguins and Wild, it’s the least these teams can do to say thank you. He’s been an outstanding player to watch and really set the bar high when it came to being a goaltender in the NHL with both his play and personality. He’s always going out of his way to be gracious to fans, and it looks like he’s having the time of his life every time he steps on the ice.
“Take a deep breath, take a good look around, and soak it all in,” said Fleury during his media availability on Monday, but he added, “Put on a good show here one last time.” Hopefully, the future Hall of Famer can do just that and lead the Wild to a win on his big night and earn another bouquet of flowers from his fans one final time in Pittsburgh.
