ST. PAUL, Minn. — Marc-Andre Fleury flashed his signature cheek-to-cheek smile when requested this week about what this twenty first and closing season shall be like for him.
“The humorous factor is, final yr, all people requested all over the place we went: ‘Are you going to retire? Are you going to retire?’” Fleury advised The Athletic with an enormous snort. “So this yr, I figured I’d simply inform all people I’m retiring, however feels like I’m nonetheless going to be requested about it all over the place we go anyway.”
Such is life while you’re a sure-thing Corridor of Famer happening age 40 and possess a resume that features three Stanley Cup championships, the second-most regular-season wins in NHL historical past (561) and being one among 4 goalies to ever play in 1,000 regular-season video games.
However Fleury doesn’t need this to be some type of victory lap across the NHL the place all over the place he goes he’s showered with items and tributes.
“I don’t need any particular therapy,” he mentioned. “I simply need to go, go searching, deliver again some recollections from my time right here, however positively not wanting ahead to any particular therapy. Don’t want that. We’re good.”
What a magnificence Marc-Andre Fleury is. Says in his closing journey across the league this yr, “I don’t need any particular therapy.” pic.twitter.com/w19jvGVCUH
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) September 19, 2024
Good luck with that.
Naturally, there shall be locations that’ll deal with Fleury like royalty.
The Wild’s seven-game journey subsequent month ends in Pittsburgh. So you already know there shall be some type of “au revoir” prolonged.
The Wild even have three off nights in Pittsburgh after a day recreation in Philadelphia, so Fleury mentioned he’ll deal with the journey as an opportunity to meet up with previous pals. The Penguins play in Vancouver on the Wild’s first off evening, however Fleury does have plans already to have dinner with previous teammates like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang at their favourite sushi and steak locations.
“It will likely be good to spend a while there,” Fleury mentioned. “I really feel like each time we go there, we’re out and in fairly rapidly. So, it is going to be good, simply drive round a bit, see some pals and benefit from the time.”
Fleury, who makes his preseason debut Friday evening towards Winnipeg, re-signed on a one-year, $2.5 million contract in April, at some point earlier than his closing begin of his twentieth NHL season. Wild boss and Fleury’s former Penguins teammate Invoice Guerin has an important affinity for Fleury, not simply the participant he’s and was on the ice however what he means inside a locker room.
That is the fourth season in Minnesota for the 2021 Vezina Trophy winner, and teammates have a look at it as a privilege to be round him. Positive, they might be victims of the odd prank now and again, however there’s a purpose Fleury has been beloved all over the place he goes within the NHL. There’s a purpose it’s a on condition that after each recreation, an opposing coach will tiptoe all the way down to the Wild’s room asking if they will get a few his sticks autographed for opponents.
Guerin re-signed Fleury for that affect, one thing he thinks will make younger gamers higher, particularly 21-year-old goalie Jesper Wallstedt, whom the Wild plan to present much more NHL motion this season.
GO DEEPER
‘He is nonetheless a child’: Marc-Andre Fleury’s path to 1,000 video games outlined by ardour, success and an infectious smile
Fleury has spent plenty of the primary week of camp in follow teams consisting largely of minor leaguers and prospects. That’s by design. And in Recreation 1 of the preseason on the third day of the camp, the Wild requested Fleury if he’d thoughts touring to Winnipeg solely to be Wallstedt’s backup.
That’s nearly remarkable to ask a 39-year-old, 21-year vet, to journey north of the border for the primary exhibition recreation when he’s not even slated to play. However simply think about how candy it was for the prospects within the Wild lineup that evening to see Fleury, somebody who has been within the NHL longer than a few of them have been alive, step onto the airplane and be within the room earlier than that recreation.
As coach John Hynes mentioned: “That’s who he’s. That’s one of many primary issues round there. He’s a Corridor of Fame goalie. However you discuss to anyone within the group, he’s approaching the airplane, plenty of youthful guys of their lineup, and abruptly he comes on the airplane, he’s within the locker room, and never solely that, as a backup.
“That’s a cultural factor. And that’s what he’s on and off the ice.”
However Guerin additionally desires different groups to respect Fleury’s needs of not being handled in a different way in his closing visits.
“Look, we’re going to be enterprise as traditional. This isn’t a farewell tour,” Guerin mentioned. “That’s not what he desires. That’s not what we wish. We don’t need any distractions like that. We’re simply going to go and do our enterprise.”
“This isn’t a farewell tour,” Guerin repeated. “I’ve been requested that query 20 instances already, and it’s simply not. We’re not doing it. We don’t need frickin’ video replays and video tributes and issues like that. Like, let’s simply play the video games. After all, in the event that they do it in Pittsburgh, then that is sensible. In Vegas. In Montreal. That is sensible. And in the event that they do it, nice, good, however that’s not what we’re all about. We’re going to work.”
GO DEEPER
For Marc-Andre Fleury, profession win No. 552 is one he and his teammates will ‘cherish’
For his half, Fleury is concentrated on having a greater season than he did in 2023-24, when he had a 17-15-5 file with a 2.98 goals-against common and an .895 save share. He confirmed he can nonetheless play at a excessive stage when wanted. From Jan. 13 to March 16, when Filip Gustavsson was both harm or struggling to search out his recreation, Fleury went 9-2-1 in 14 appearances with a 1.92 goals-against common and .928 save share.
In 20 seasons, the 2003 No. 1 decide has performed 1,025 video games (864 begins), posting a 561-330-96 file with a 2.60 GAA, .912 save share and 75 shutouts. He ranks first all-time in shootout wins (65), second in wins, third in saves (26,586), fourth in video games performed and minutes performed (59,276) and is the NHL’s lively chief in all 5 classes.
His 552nd profession win, to cross his childhood idol, Patrick Roy, got here in a 5-0 victory over the New York Islanders on Jan. 15. He’s 5 video games from passing Roy for the third-most regular-season video games.
“I’m simply making an attempt to get pleasure from it,” Fleury mentioned. “The grind. The robust instances. The battles with the fellows on the ice. I’m simply making an attempt to get pleasure from.”
Fleury missed the playoffs for the primary time in 18 seasons in 2023-24. That wasn’t acceptable or enjoyable for the proud athlete.
Some athletes, once they miss the playoffs, can’t even abdomen watching the postseason on TV. Fleury, not shockingly, was the other and paid shut consideration from his sofa. It’s not the place he wished to be, that’s for positive.
He says for the Wild to get again to the playoffs, they should have a greater begin than we’ve seen the previous few seasons. Because the adage goes, you’ll be able to’t make the playoffs early within the season, however you’ll be able to positive miss it.
“Not simply final yr — final two, three years, proper?” Fleury mentioned. “It’s been just a few robust begins that we’ve had. It performs an enormous half down the stretch when chasing the playoffs. I feel, with the coaches and Billy, we had discuss (earlier than camp) about beginning proper, pushing one another, so when that first day comes round, we’re able to go.
“We consider in ourselves. We love our locker room, and two years and three years in the past we had 100-point seasons, proper? If we are able to keep wholesome, I feel that shall be an enormous a part of it and keep constant. I feel final yr we had some good stretches, however we additionally had lengthy stretches the place we weren’t good.
“Unhealthy video games will occur. Losses will occur. However I feel if we are able to get out of them fast and get again on the horse and win the subsequent one — not going into these slumps — we’ll be OK.”
Fleury mentioned the Wild workers hasn’t sat down but with him, Gustavsson and Wallstedt to debate the way it will work this season as a result of it’ll be so fluid. Wallstedt may very well be shuttling forwards and backwards to AHL Iowa, however there shall be instances when all three shall be on the roster and get begins.
Fleury’s positive with that. He simply desires to assist win and do what he can behind the scenes to “get the fellows going.”
“I feel Wally’s an excellent goalie, very gifted — somewhat youthful, however the extra he performs, the extra expertise he’ll get,” Fleury mentioned. “He’ll be nice, similar to Gus, additionally. So, I’ll simply benefit from the final one and do no matter I can.”
Wallstedt joked final week that it’s loopy to suppose he’s 21 years previous and Fleury is getting into his twenty first season within the NHL after debuting for the Penguins in 2003.
Jesper Wallstedt on studying from M-A Fleury & Filip Gustavsson: “I feel simply being of their presence and positively in Marc-Andre’s presence, simply being round, seeing how he competes throughout his twenty first NHL season and that’s how previous I’m. Simply fascinated by that’s fairly loopy.” pic.twitter.com/3szb56FwVz
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) September 20, 2024
“It’s so surreal seeing these youngsters are available now,” Fleury mentioned. “I attempt to care for my physique, I attempt to keep good, do the correct issues to remain match. However I’ve had assist exterior the ice to maintain me going all these years.
“My first yr, after I got here in and I noticed these older guys — Marc Bergevin and Mario (Lemieux), it was round their twentieth yr additionally — I simply thought, ‘That’d be cool to be doing that.’ By no means thought in my thoughts I might stick round so lengthy, so I’m very lucky.”
Final season, Fleury had a prank battle with now-Capitals winger Brandon Duhaime. It began with Duhaime making enjoyable of Fleury’s age after a recreation in December, continued with a Secret Santa pink cane gifted to Fleury, and ended with Fleury eradicating the tires from Duhaime’s automobile and placing it on cement blocks within the Colorado Avalanche participant parking zone earlier than a recreation at Ball Area.
Fleury has stored that pink cane in his stall as a “little memento.” And possibly it was becoming. Preparing for a season at this age is totally different than 20 years in the past.
“It will get somewhat more durable, little extra stiffness and bumps and bruises, and tiredness, actually,” he mentioned. “Once you’re 20, you’re simply buzzing on a regular basis. Now, rather less. However, simply getting that relaxation and ensuring you’re able to go while you’re on the ice (is vital). All these guys hold me younger, proper? It’s good to compete with them. It’s plenty of enjoyable.”
(Picture: David Berding / Getty Photographs)
