If you paid attention to social media recently, the Pittsburgh Penguins had hinted about it. If you paid attention to the team’s fan base, there had been a push for it for a long time. Now it’s real: Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is returning to Pittsburgh.
The former long-time Penguins franchise goalie has signed a professional tryout contract and will appear in a training camp practice at noon Sept. 26 and in a preseason game against Columbus at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at PPG Paints Arena.
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Presumably, that will be the extent of Fleury’s comeback with his original team. At 40, he already has announced his retirement from the NHL and had a farewell tour of sorts last season. Whether the PTO will allow him to sort of re-retire — or enter the Hockey Hall of Fame when he is eligible — as a Penguins player remains to be seen.
The athletic, outgoing, prank-loving goalie, selected first overall by the Penguins in the 2003 draft, won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins over 13 seasons. He also played for Vegas (winning the Vezina Trophy in 2021), Chicago and, most recently, Minnesota. He ranks second all-time in the NHL with 575 wins.
“The entire Penguins organization is honored to welcome Marc-Andre Fleury back to the ice in Pittsburgh,” Penguins president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas said in a team 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.”
The post The Much Anticipated Return of Marc-Andre Fleury! appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now.
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