The last goaltender selected with the first overall pick has officially hung up his skates. As expected after his farewell tour, the NHL Alumni Association announced that Marc-André Fleury has retired from the NHL after 21 seasons.
Fleury’s career began on October 10, 2003, on a rebuilding Pittsburgh Penguins’ team, losing to the Los Angeles Kings. He wouldn’t have to wait long for his first win, as they defeated the Detroit Red Wings a few days later on October 18th.
It wouldn’t be Fleury’s win against Detroit either. Although they lost in a hotly contested 2008 Stanley Cup Final, the Penguins won a year later. Thanks to a game-saving win against Nicklas Lidstrom in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final, Fleury backstopped Pittsburgh to their first Stanley Cup championship since 1992.
Although the Penguins had successful seasons, it took a few years for them to return to the Stanley Cup Final. When they finally made it back, Fleury had moved into a backup role, while Matt Murray took over as the starting goaltender. Murray helped lead the Penguins to consecutive championships in 2016 and 2017.
This was largely the end of Fleury’s tenure in Pittsburgh. The team left Fleury exposed in that summer’s expansion draft, again in favor of Murray, leaving the upstart Vegas Golden Knights to select him.
Fleury, with an impressive record of 29 wins, 13 losses, and 4 overtime losses, along with a .927 save percentage in 46 games, helped the Golden Knights not only reach the playoffs but also advance to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural year.. Unfortunately, Vegas couldn’t capitalize on their Cinderella run, it was a clear resurgence in Fleury’s career.
He experienced several more successful years with Vegas before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in late summer 2021. ’Flower’ only spent one year with the Original Six organization before being traded to the Minnesota Wild at the subsequent trade deadline.
Finally, Fleury’s career ended last night at the hands of the Golden Knights. He finished his career with a 575-339-97 record in 1,051 career games with a .912 SV% and 2.6o GAA. He won the Vezina Trophy along with the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2020-21 and currently sits second all-time in goalie win leaders, besting Patrick Roy by 24 wins and falling short of Martin Brodeur by 116.
Well done, sir, well done!
Happy Retirement, Flower! Thanks for the memories and in-arena hallway gymnastics! And, more thanks for the gymnastics between the pipes! :)
He was an absolute joy to watch and, as a kind of fever-dream bonus, I got to see him play a season in Chicago. Just a great ambassador for everything that hockey is about. Enjoy retirement Flower, the HHoF is waiting. 🌻
Even though his season in Chicago didn’t go particularly well it was far from his fault. Good guy and hard not to root for him when he was on the ice whoever he played for. Have a good retirement, You earned it MAF.
He was definitely backstopping a pretty bad team that year. I guess for me it was kind of like when Ken Griffey Jr. got traded to the White Sox. Just to get to experience luminaries like these playing for my home franchises was a really cool thing.
That’s a really impressive record.
Was a great run Flower, thanks for the memories!
#3 goalie all time behind roy & brodeur?
Not even close, I’m afraid. MAF had a hell of a career, but he’s got one Cup as a starter, one Vezina and one 2nd Team All-Star to his credit. He only led the league in one thing, once (shutouts in 2015). He’s 82nd all-time in adjusted GAA, 50th in save percentage, tenth in shutouts.
With that, he really did have a hell of a career, and has been a magnificent ambassador for the game. May his retirement be long and happy!
If he didn’t play on his head the first half of the 2016 regular season, Pens don’t make the playoffs. If he didn’t play the way he did in the first couples series in 2017, they don’t make the Finals. He may not have been the reason they won the last round those years but he definitely was a huge reason why they had the opportunity.
Meaning what, though? Of how many other great goalies can such things be said?
Does MAF pip Dominik Hasek, who won two Cups, six Vezinas, two Harts, and six First Team All-Stars? Jacques Plante, with seven Vezinas, a Hart and six Cup rings? Clint Benedict, Ken Dryden, Tony Esposito, Bill Durnan, Alex Connell …
Fleury 2nd all time in Ws behind marty very impressive. Also he won 2 cups as starter 3 overall, hasek won once as starter
It’s been a pleasure to have him on my favorite team these last few years! Thank you for the good memories Mr. Fleury.