Marc-Andre Fleury Super Emotional After Playing His Last Game in Pittsburgh
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Longtime Penguins and current Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made his farewell appearance in Pittsburgh, the city where he began his career, on an emotional night.
Over the summer, the three-time Stanley Cup champion, former Vezina Trophy winner, and surefire candidate for the Hockey Hall of Fame declared that this season would be his final one. Therefore, Tuesday night was the final NHL game Fleury would play in the Steel City.
Throughout the evening, there was some pleasant nostalgia for the team's accomplishments with Fleury in goal and his renowned antics. He also took a brief picture with his old teammates Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin, and Sidney Crosby.
Marc-Andre Fleury made a save in the closing seconds of his final game in Pittsburgh that was reminiscent of the save he made against Detroit in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final.
"I considered that... That's good, I thought. Good. "Like old times, you know?" he grinned.
During this memorable evening, which concluded with Fleury being named the First Star in Minnesota's 5-3 victory, everyone was thinking about the good old days. With his teammates and a few old friends, Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby, staying to watch, he was appreciative of the chance to thank the supporters one final time.
«I feel very fortunate those were some of the best years of my life. I really appreciate it. It's hard to say goodbye. Thank you very much for all these years, guys,» Fleury said
Fleury managed to keep his composure during the on-ice interview. But when he arrived at the locker room, 'Flower' was overcome with emotion as he tried to describe how he felt saying goodbye to the place he had called home for so many years, which had embraced him from the start.
«It's maybe hard to believe that's the last time,» Fleury said before adding with a watery laugh, «Told you I've gotten soft! Yeah, hard to believe, but so appreciative, from the bottom of my heart, with what everybody's done for me over the years. And the support, right?... Family was here, friends were here. We all have great memories from here, so it means a lot.»
Marc-Andre Fleury's wife, Veronique has been a part of this journey from the beginning, as she and Marc-Andre were childhood sweethearts.
«Pittsburgh means so much to us. So much happened here,» she said. «We were teenagers when Marc started. We got engaged, got married. I graduated here (from Robert Morris University), had two kids. Our daughters were born here. Marc won three Cups. It's just, I feel like I always refer to Pittsburgh. So, being back has been amazing.»
The supporters made sure Fleury had a fitting farewell by forming lines hours before the doors opened and then pouring in with signs expressing their gratitude and admiration while sporting various No. 29 outfits. One during warm-ups, for instance, said, "Fleury, thank you for motivating me to work hard and be a goalie!"
As a fitting conclusion to a memorable evening for a unique player, Fleury faced 29 shots during the game and won. Fleury paused to give Crosby and Letang hugs before performing a final twirl in front of the audience. They advised him to savor the moment and the lap.
«I thought the fans had great ovations, and with the videos and things like that,» Crosby said. «He means a lot to the teams, the fans, the organization, to the guys that played with him so, mixed emotions. Happy that he had the opportunity to play in this game and get that kind of ovation. And then obviously sad to see that it's his last year. He's a great goalie and a great guy.»
The Sorel, Quebec native played for Pittsburgh for the first 13 seasons of his career, winning Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016, and 2017.
Almost every significant goaltending metric in the Penguins' history is led by Fleury, including wins (375), games played (667), shutouts (44), playoff wins (62), playoff games (115), and playoff shutouts (10).
Happy retirement Flower!
| POLL | ||
30 OCTOBRE | 75 ANSWERS Marc-Andre Fleury Super Emotional After Playing His Last Game in Pittsburgh Are you going to miss Marc-Andre Fleury? | ||
| Yes | 61 | 81.3 % |
| I can't stop crying! | 14 | 18.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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