So, like, there was this optional morning skate for the Minnesota Wild before Game 6 on Thursday, you know? Five skaters were like cycling pucks around one end of TRIA Rink in downtown St. Paul. And there was this one goalie chilling in the net, doing goalie things.
As you start walking closer to that net, you hear this familiar laugh, some occasional chirping. And when you get close enough, you can still see that trademark smile flashing through his mask. Yeah, it’s Marc-Andre Fleury, the guy who’s probably not going to play in the game that his team needs to win to keep their season alive. His playing days are done if they lose, fate is a cruel mistress.
But hey, it’s all good for Fleury. The dude is 40 years old and he’s never taken these days for granted, especially now when playing time is scarce and starts are limited. Plus, he called it quits before the season even started, just to avoid all the annoying questions about retirement.
“I said it was gonna be my last year because I got tired of people asking me if I was done playing,” Fleury said, chuckling. “So, I was like, ‘I’m not doing this again.’ I’m just gonna say it, so when we’re done, we don’t have to talk about it.”
And well, his career did end with a 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights, sealing a first-round playoff defeat. Fleury didn’t want a farewell tour, but he got one anyway. The attention, the adoration, it was all a bit crazy and unexpected for him.
“Maybe once I’m done and I sit back and think about the last year, I’ll realize it maybe a bit more,” Fleury told someone. “So many nights, the way fans have treated me, the way different organizations have been so good to me. I feel like it’s been a bit crazy, but also fun, too, to see everybody and say thanks.”
Others thanked him too, you know? Like when he played his last game in Pittsburgh, where he was drafted first overall in 2003. There was this giant flower bouquet of his number 29 waiting for him in the hallway. And then he went out and got the win against his old team, the Penguins, where he won three Stanley Cups.
But wait, there’s more. The Wild traded for Fleury to give him one more shot at a playoff run and to mentor the young goalies. The future of the Wild’s crease is in good hands with guys like Gustavsson and Wallstedt. Fleury has been a big help to them, a real team player.
And so, the horn sounded, the game ended, and the Knights advanced to the second round. Fleury went down the line, hugging former teammates, shaking hands with rivals. He even hugged the officials, that’s some good sportsmanship right there.
Fleury got one final salute from the Knights, a standing ovation from his home crowd, and then he dashed off to the locker room. It was the end of an era, a legendary career coming to a close.
Now, Fleury and his family will likely stay in Minnesota for a while. He’s gonna figure out his next move in hockey, maybe a trip to the Hall of Fame in a few years. But for now, he can bask in the glory of a hell of a career and the respect of his peers.
And that’s a wrap, folks. The end of a chapter in the book of Marc-Andre Fleury, a true legend of the game.
