The Chicago Blackhawks had the pleasure of having Marc-Andre Fleury on their team for 45 games played over the course of his 1051-game career. He helped make what turned out to be a rough 2021-22 season for the Blackhawks better.
At the trade deadline of that season, the Blackhawks traded him to the Minnesota Wild, where he would finish out his days in the NHL. At the end of the 2024-25 season, Fleury played his last game before retiring.
During the off-season, however, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that he would return on a PTO to play one preseason game so he could retire with the team where he became a legend. While in Pittsburgh, Fleury was a big part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams.
That game took place on Saturday night in Pittsburgh against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He came in for the third period, didn’t give up a goal, and the Penguins won. They also allowed him to be the goalie in a shootout for entertainment purposes once regulation ended.
He was saluted by the Penguins crowd, which is an organization that will always have him around going forward. Fleury’s legacy in Pittsburgh is right up there with some of the greats of every sport.
Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kristopher Letang played a key role in the celebration process, as those three helped Fleury form the winningest core in Penguins history.
To say that the Penguins got everything they expected and more out of Fleury when they took him first overall in 2003 would be an understatement. The NHL and the entire hockey community are better for knowing Marc-Andre Fleury.
Next up for Fleury is the Hall of Fame. It shouldn’t take long to get him inducted now that his playing career is over. He will likely make it on the first ballot.
Fleury will go out with his three Stanley Cups, a Vezina Trophy, a Jennings Trophy, a record of 575-339-97, 76 career shutouts, a 2.60 goals against average, and a .912 save percentage. Retiring on their own terms makes sense for a player of his caliber.
Expect this to become a new tradition for all-time greats who may not end with their original teams. It’s a cool new idea that we’ve never seen before, but it won’t be soon forgotten as the first of its kind.
Fleury actually got to play, and play well, with the Penguins one last time. It’s a memory that will last a lifetime.
The Blackhawks were such a small part of his journey, but a part of it nonetheless. He deserves all of his “flowers” as he impacted so many people at every stop he made in a positive way. If there were a Hall of Humanity, he’d be in that, too.
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