Marc-Andre Fleury has been among the best goaltenders in the NHL for the last 21 seasons. His hockey career started with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2003, now ending his career with the Minnesota Wild. Fleury has been an impactful player in the world of hockey and is still breaking records today.
Minnesota Wild played the Montreal Canadiens on January 30th for Fleury’s last time in the Bell Center. This game would soon mark history for the 40-year-old goaltender. He had 19 saves and shut the Canadiens out at home, giving the Wild the 4-0 win. He is the first goaltender in NHL history to record a shutout as a teenager and again at 40.
The Wild fought hard to keep the puck away from their zone, giving Fleury a quiet night at the net. The first shot Fleury faced came from Lane Huston six minutes into the game. The Wild were doing everything they could to get takeaways and block shots, anything to help their goaltender.
Fleury grew up an hour outside Montreal; Thursday’s game’s emotional impact on the goaltender was not unnoticed. Regardless of their loss, the Canadiens remained on the ice to show appreciation to the goaltender. This was a surprising and humbling experience for the veteran goaltender.
Fleury now has a total of 76 career shutouts throughout his 21-year tenure. This recent shutout was his first of this current season. He now sits 10th overall for career shutouts, joining legends such as Glenn Hall and Roberto Luongo. His season record is 11-5-1 with a .908 save percentage and 2.60 goals against average.
The list of achievements under Fleury’s belt is impressive. He was drafted number one overall in the 2003 NHL Entry draft, selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins. This made him the third goalie to be chosen number one overall, joining Michel Plasse and Rick DiPietro. He made his NHL debut in October of 2003 against the Los Angeles Kings in a 3-0 loss. His first win came eight days later against the Detroit Red Wings, and they walked away with a 1-0 victory.
During the 13 years that Fleury was a Penguin, he helped the team win three Stanley Cup Championships. Fleury left Pittsburgh during the expansion draft, which sent him to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. He helped the Golden Knights make it to the playoff finals in his first year in Las Vegas. After four years as a Golden Knight, he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for one season. He was traded to the Minnesota Wild, where he chose to end his career.
Fleury has started in 1011 games and has made 1,043 career appearances and an overall career record of 572-335-97. He won the Vezina Trophy with the Golden Knights during the 2020-2021 season. He has the second most wins for a single player in NHL History. He is also the fourth goalie in the NHL to appear in over 1,000 games. He has made four appearances at the NHL All-Star Game and was selected for the NHL Second All-Star Team.
Fleury announced earlier this season that this would be his last season in the NHL. His impact on the game, players, and the fans is inspiring and motivating. To have a long tenure and still play his ultimate best each game is truly impressive. They are sitting second in the Central Division with 66 points and sixth in the league. They have a great chance at making the playoffs and ending Fleury’s career on a great note.
The Wild are facing the Ottawa Senators on Saturday, February 1st. This will be their second-to-last road trip game before they head home.
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
