Fleury bids final farewell to NHL after 21 seasons

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Marc-Andre Fleury now is a former NHL goalie, something that is still sinking in for the 40-year-old.

The goalie’s career came to an end after 21 seasons in the Minnesota Wild’s 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday. The three-time Stanley Cup winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins (2009, 2016, 2017) is second all-time in victories (575), games played (1,051) and time on ice (60,669:03).

“I had a little time maybe in my car after [Game 6], driving home by myself and had a little time to reflect,” Fleury said Monday. “Just, I don’t know, still a little unbelievable that it’s over. Twenty years went by so quick, right?

“I love my teammates, I love my team here too. I thought the guys played so well in the playoffs and gave a good run. Vegas is one of the best teams in the League, and we all believed we could come back and have a chance there. I don’t know. It’s like, you know it’s coming, right? I knew it’s coming, but it’s still sad when it happens for real.”

Fleury finished his last regular season 14-9-1 with a 2.93 goals-against average, .899 save percentage and one shutout in 26 games (22 starts) for the Wild, upping his career totals to 575-339-97 in 1,051 games (1,017 starts) with a 2.60 GAA, .912 save percentage and 76 shutouts.

But for Fleury, it’s not his stats or Stanley Cup championships he’s most proud of.

“I think having the respect of my teammates is very important to me,” he said. “I always want to win, and I try to battle in practice and games, trying to win also. I think for me that’s something very important because you go every day you see them, every day you try to win with them, and if you can have their respect, and from your peers, I think that means a lot to me.”

After being selected by the Penguins with the No. 1 pick at the 2003 NHL Draft, Fleury played 13 seasons in Pittsburgh before being the marquee selection by the Golden Knights at the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. He helped Vegas reach the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season of 2017-18 and played another three seasons there, which also included winning the Vezina Trophy as the League’s top goalie in 2020-21.

Fleury was traded to the Chicago Blackhakws in 2021, and then sent to the Wild ahead of the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. Since then he's helped their younger goalies develop, including Filip Gustavsson, who went 31-19-6 this season with a 2.56 GAA, .914 save percentage and five shutouts in 58 games.

“He's a very helpful mentor [for me] coming into this league,” Gustavsson said. “Usually, you have more of a rivalry between goalies because only one guy can play; it felt like he was very happy when I played and vice versa a little bit more, and that's something that's very rare. I'm trying to get into this league and be more established all the time. He was on his way out a little bit.

“… He just shows that he only plays hockey because he has loved the sport so much. That's something you forget sometimes when you're in very high-pressure situations or losing and all that stuff. You play hockey, and you start playing hockey, because it's so fun and you love the sport. Take it a little bit for what it is and just relax. Relax your shoulders, go out, and have fun."

As for what’s next, Fleury confirmed he will join Canada for the 2025 IIHF World Championship for one final hurrah, where he will be reunited with Penguins center Sidney Crosby. It will be Fleury’s first time participating in the tournament, which will be held in Stockholm, Sweden and Herning, Denmark from May 9-25. Beyond that, Fleury said he’d like to explore some options, potentially staying in the game with the Wild in some capacity. But he’s mostly looking forward to spending more time at home with his family.

“I feel like I’ll have to try different things, see what (Wild general manager Bill Guerin) has in mind, maybe if he has something for me,” Fleury said. “I think I know goalies better, but I don’t want to be a coach. I don’t want to do media, no TV, nothing like that. I don’t know. If I can help the younger guys maybe in some ways, that could be fun too.

“But I think my first thing though is I want to be home more. I want to be there for my kids’ birthdays and school play and just go walk Halloween with them and stuff like that. That’s my main concern.”

Wild general manager Bill Guerin said Tuesday he will find employment for Fleury within the organization if he's interested.

“I will have a spot for him, and what that is I’m not sure yet,” Guerin said. “See what direction he wants to go in, but just like we did with Derek Stepan and doing with Alex Goligoski, these guys are finishing long careers. They need some time. They need some time to decompress and do some dad stuff and husband stuff and just kind of get acclimated a little bit to retirement.”

In the meantime, just as Fleury hoped, his imprint on his teammates, opponents and the League will live on for many years to come.

“As a young player in this league, there’s no better guy you can look up to than Marc-Andre Fleury,” Wild defenseman Brock Faber said. “Being able to share the same sweater as him is something that I will never take for granted. It’s something I will tell my kids, and something that I will brag about to all my friends and family forever.

“He’s a legend and he’s a legendary human being. It doesn’t get much better than that.”