Leo’s Hockey Report: Marc-Andre Fleury returns to Pittsburgh to close out career

Fleury holding the Stanley Cup in 2017. He helped guide the Penguins to the three Stanley Cup victories. (Credit: Dave Stanford/Getty Images)

Marc-Andre Fleury isn’t ready to hang up his skates quite yet.  

The longtime Penguins goaltender has decided to return to the franchise for one last ride. He took part in the team’s preseason game on Sept. 27  against the Columbus Blue Jackets and a couple of practices.  

Many believed his career was over after last year’s playoffs, when the Minnesota Wild were eliminated in the first round. 

The 40-year-old signed a Professional Tryout (PTO) contract on Sept. 12. 

Fleury took to social media to announce the news, displaying a picture of him with a bathrobe and his Stanley Cup rings. The picture was also featured on the Penguins’ Instagram account. 

Fleury is a veteran of over 1,500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent the majority of his career in the Steel City, finishing with stops in Vegas, Chicago and Minnesota.  

PTOs are typically agreed to be veterans for not having a team going into the new season. 

“I don’t like to say I wanted to retire as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Fleury told NHL.com. “I don’t want to disrespect the Minnesota Wild. I played my last game with them. I signed my last contract with the Wild. They did a lot of things for me. I wanted to go back to where it all began for me. I see it as a nod. I’ll wear the Penguins jersey for one last time and see old teammates and friends. It’s a way to come full circle.”  

Fleury meant a great deal to the Penguins organization, both on and off the ice. 

He was drafted first overall in 2003, when he was playing with the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Back then, the team was known as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.  

In 2003, Fleury’s first NHL game came in a losing effort against the Los Angeles Kings. He made 46 saves on the night.  

He became the youngest goaltender to play in the league that year.  

Fleury recorded his first of many big league wins a couple of days later. Pittsburgh defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3, where he turned aside 31 shots.  

The Sorel-Tracy, Quebec native bounced between the NHL, QMJHL and the Penguins’ farm team for the first two years of his professional career. He wasn’t a full-time starter until the 2006-07 season.  

Despite the rocky start to his career, the rest is history.  

Fleury spent 13 years with the Penguins. He brought three Stanley Cups to the city, the first of which came in 2009. Pittsburgh defeated the Detroit Red Wings to claim hockey’s holy grail.  

After a seven-year drought, Pittsburgh won back-to-back league championships. The team defeated San Jose in 2016 and Nashville in 2017. 

Fleury provided a steady backbone for the Pens during their back-to-back playoff runs.  

All three Stanley Cups were won by the same core group. That group consisted of Fleury, Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin.  

Fleury left Pittsburgh in 2017. He left a legacy of success and a culture of winning.  

He ranks first in most goaltending statistics for the Penguins. He played 691 games for the franchise, amassing 375 wins and 44 shutouts. However, he failed to collect the elusive goalie goal.  

Fans embraced Fleury by referring to him as “the Flower.” The unique nickname came from the English translation of his last name.  

Fleury also had a profound impact off the ice. He is seen as one of the league’s most generous players.  

One of his many acts of kindness came during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.  

Due to COVID-19, the NHL was forced to play their playoff games at neutral site locations. 

Fleury donated food to an Edmonton food bank every Monday during the playoffs. He did not want to receive any recognition for the selfless deed.  

Fleury has also become one of the league’s most feared and creative pranksters. He is known for pulling the occasional practical joke on his teammates. Fleury’s pranks included putting tape on Crosby’s gear and rubbing vaseline on the visor of his helmet.  

Crosby got his revenge on Fleury last season. A group of his former teammates got hold of the goalie’s room card while the opposing team held their morning skate. 

The group took the opportunity to rearrange the furniture in Fleury’s hotel room.  

“It’s great,” Crosby told reporters about playing with Fleury one last time. “I feel like I’ve had three or four lasts with him. Just when I think it’s the last, another thing happens. It’s a good thing. I thought in Minnesota it was going to be the last time. Then, we played in the Worlds together and now the preseason game.” 

The NHL is losing one of its finest. 

Fleury is a first-ballot hall-of-famer. His resume speaks for itself, as he completed everything he could during his career. 

Many mention him in conversations with legendary netminders like Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and Patrick Roy.  

His generosity and fun-loving attitude are sure to be missed.