A Penguins Legend Ended His 21 Year Career The Right Way

The Flower played 691 games in Pittsburgh and won 375 of them. He posted a .912 save percentage and 2.58 goals against average with 44 shutouts and 288 quality starts. In the Penguins’ team history, he is first in wins, shutouts, and minutes played. His 13 years in Pittsburgh were legendary. He influenced kids everywhere to want to play goalie. Fleury will never be forgotten in the Steel City. 

Unfortunately, Pittsburgh had to make the heartbreaking decision not to protect Fleury in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. Matt Murray was playing too well at the time, and Fleury was 32 years old. The Las Vegas Golden Knights scooped him up, and he was gone. He was great for the Knights, leading them to the Stanley Cup Finals in their first season and winning the Vezina Trophy in 2021. The Flower also spent time with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Minnesota Wild.

Coming Home

Fleury retired from the NHL after last season. Teams called about his availability over the summer, but he rejected all of them, except one. When the opportunity arose to return to Pittsburgh for a brief stint, he knew he had to do it. One last ride with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang was a perfect ending to a storied career. Fleury even got to play a few more pranks on him on the way out the door.

His final appearance came in the third period of the preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Fleury made eight saves, shutting out the Blue Jackets in the third period. The home crowd was relentless for the whole period, belting multiple “Fleury” chants and even mixing in a plea for one more year. Despite being a preseason game, the entire night was magical for the city of Pittsburgh. It felt right to see Flower in a Penguins jersey and those cheddar yellow pads one last time. 

End Of My Penguins Rant

There will never be another Marc-Andre Fleury. He left an incredible impression on the NHL, influencing kids to play goalie with his eccentric play style and breathtaking saves. He left a mark on every team he played for throughout his long NHL career. On top of being a great goaltender, Fleury was always the prankster in the room, taping his teammates’ equipment together or rearranging their hotel room. He is one of a kind, and he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer.