Marc-Andre Fleury is playing one last game with the Pittsburgh Penguins this pre-season.
Fleury, who announced last season would be his final in the NHL, signed a professional tryout with the Penguins, GM Kyle Dubas announced Friday.
The 40-year-old will practise with the Penguins on Friday, Sept. 26, before playing in parts of Pittsburgh’s exhibition game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Sept. 27, in front of the home fans at PPG Paints Arena.
The Penguins drafted Fleury first overall in 2003, and together, they won three Stanley Cup championships. He last played for them in 2017 before getting claimed in the Vegas Golden Knights‘ expansion draft, then later playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild.
After finishing his NHL season with the Wild, he reunited with Penguins captain Sidney Crosby on Team Canada at the World Championship.
“The entire Penguins organization is honored to welcome Marc-Andre Fleury back to the ice in Pittsburgh,” Dubas said in a news release. “This past year, everyone witnessed how beloved and respected Marc is in the game of hockey, but the adoration goes beyond his accolades and career. Marc means so much to our team, our fans and the City of Pittsburgh because of the person he is and the example he set.
“The Penguins feel he and his family are most-deserving of this opportunity to celebrate this full-circle moment back where it all started in front of the Black and Gold faithful.”
Fleury spent 13 of his 21 NHL seasons with the Penguins and set franchise records along the way.
He leads all Penguins netminders, past and present, with 691 games played, 375 wins and 44 shutouts. As for goalies with at least 100 games played on the team, Fleury’s 2.58 goals-against average ranks first, and his .912 save percentage is tied for second behind Matt Murray (.914).
As for playoff numbers, Fleury’s 115 games played, 62 wins and 10 shutouts also rank first in Penguins history.
Fleury also won the Vezina Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy, but it came in 2020-21 with the Golden Knights, four seasons after he last played for the Penguins.
That said, Fleury’s more than a goalie.
“It was so apparent in October when Minny came to Pittsburgh (for Fleury’s final game against Pittsburgh), just what he means to people,” Dubas told The Athletic in May. “Not just the staff or the players. I’m talking more about the fans, the reaction they had to him. It was incredible.”
Known for his many high-effort pranks and funny personality, Fleury’s also known for his charitable efforts. With the Penguins, he received two Edward J. Debartolo Community Service Awards.
For
action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue,
subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by
subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
THN.com.
