Four months ago, former Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-André Fleury skated off the ice for the final time.
Fleury, nicknamed ‘Flower,’ played 21 seasons in the NHL. He played 1,051 games for four different franchises— the Golden Knights, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Minnesota Wild— and ended his career with a record of 575-339-2-95.
Before the start of the 2024-25 season, Fleury openly announced that it would be his last. Beloved by fans, opponents, and teammates alike, he embarked on a retirement tour of epic proportions.
Penguins fans serenaded Fleury when he played in Pittsburgh one last time. After a regular season game in March, former rival Alex Ovechkin and his Washington Capitals gave Flower his flowers. It all came to a head in May when the Golden Knights defeated Fleury’s Minnesota Wild in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fleury went through the handshake line, embraced the officials, waved goodbye to the roaring crowd, and skated off into the sunset.
Read More: Au Revoir, Marc-André Fleury; The Pleasure Was Ours
Or so we thought.
On Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced that they’d signed Fleury to a professional tryout agreement of sorts.
Fleury, now 40, will practice with the Penguins on September 26th. Then, he’ll take the ice on the 27th for the Penguins’ preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets to finish off his career where it all began.
The Penguins drafted Fleury first overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He played 13 seasons in Pittsburgh, won three Stanley Cups, and posted a record of 375-216-2-66. His preseason appearance later this month won’t add to that record, but it certainly will draw a crowd. Fleury’s last dance is sure to be one of the most-watched preseason games in NHL history.
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