As he reflected on the experience a few years later, veteran winger Marcus Foligno still remembers the buzz inside the locker room on March 21, 2022.
Nobody could focus in the hours leading up to puck drop. Not when general manager Bill Guerin appeared to be close to acquiring legendary goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury in a blockbuster trade.
A few hours later, Fleury touched down at Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport, raced over to Xcel Energy Center, and suited up in time to serve as the backup for the game between the Wild and the Vegas Golden Knights.
“He kind of had this aura to him when he first walked in,” Foligno said. “He looked a little bit fake. His hair is perfect, and he had a nice suit on. It was like, ‘Wow. This is a big time player coming to Minnesota.’ ”
That feeling almost immediately faded away as Fleury started to endear himself to the group.
“He was just a regular guy,” Foligno said. “Just loved the game so much that it was infectious.”
That has always been Fleury’s secret sauce.
Though he might seem almost mythical from afar, he has a way of making anybody who comes in contact with him feel like they are important. That might be the biggest reason his legacy will live forever with the Wild.
“He’s just a special guy all around,” captain Jared Spurgeon said. “There’s a reason why he’s loved by all of his teammates in every single placed he has played.”
Never mind that this was Fleury’s last stop in an illustrious career, which featured memorable stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Golden Knights, and a brief pit stop with the Chicago Blackhawks. The impact Fleury made with the Wild will be felt long after he’s gone.
Not only did he serve as a role model for younger players, showing them what it took to be a pro, he also served as a compass of sorts for older players, reminding them the importance of finding joy in the game.
Whether he was windmilling a glove save in the crease, cheering for his teammates after a blocked shot, or pranking an unsuspecting victim in the locker room, Fleury made sure to have fun with everything he did.
Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Minnesota Wild celebrates a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings with Matt Boldy #12 and the rest of his teammates at Little Caesars Arena on Feb. 22, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“You’ve got be like a kid again, and that’s what Flower was,” Foligno said. “He was a kid every time he put on the pads.”
That youthful exuberance paved the way for Fleury to play more than 20 years at the highest level. The stats speaks for themselves, a 575-339-97 record across 1,051 games, to go along with a 2.60 goals-against average, .912 save percentage and 76 shutouts. He ranks second place all time in wins (575), games (1,051), starts (1,017), and minutes played (60,669:03).
He also got to hoist the Stanley Cup a few times.
What is Fleury most proud of?
“I think having the respect of my teammates,” he said. “That means a lot to me.”
There’s no doubt that he had their respect.
“Just being able to share the same sweater as him is something that I will never take for granted,” defenseman Brock Faber said. “It’s something I will tell my kids and something that I will brag about to all my friends and family forever.”
Not long after the Wild got knocked out of the playoffs by the Golden Knights last week, Fleury briefly addressed the team in the locker room. It was only after he started his drive home alone that reality slowly started to kick in.
“It’s still a little unbelievable that it’s over,” Fleury said. “ That 20 years went by so quick.”
Even if it was only a small chapter in Fleury’s life, the Wild were lucky to have him for as long as they did.
There’s also a chance the story doesn’t end here.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Fleury found his way back to the Wild in some way, shape, or form. He and his family are sticking around the Twin Cities for the foreseeable future, and while he’s looking forward to being around his wife and his kids more in retirement, Foligno and Spurgeon have already jokingly started recruiting Fleury to be the emergency backup goaltender.
Asked if he could see himself possibly suiting up for a practice at some point down the road, Fleury flashed a smile at the question, then delivered an answer that suggested he will still be around here and there.
“Why not?” Fleury said. “It’s fun to be around the guys.”
The State of Hockey would be so lucky.
Originally Published: May 5, 2025 at 5:12 PM CDT