Well-loved goalie Marc-André Fleury said his final goodbye to Pittsburgh during the pre-season game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on September 27 at the PPG Paints Arena. The energy buzzing in the arena was unmatched by any other preseason game this year; not only that, but it has brought the whole hockey community together in one final farewell to this player. Finishing his career in the original black and gold that he started his career wearing will go down in hockey history. But why was this such a big deal to fans of the sport, especially Pittsburgh Penguins fans?
Fleury started his professional career with the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Penguins (Mini-Pens), the AHL team for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was “Penguin made,” so when he went up to the “Big-Pens” in 2003, there was a newfound excitement for what he would bring to the team. And it’s safe to say he made his impact on the city of Pittsburgh. He led the Penguins to a back-to-back Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017 before he was included in the NHL expansion draft. Before this draft, his years with the Penguins were not something to turn a head at, and that is not only because of his skills on the ice, but also for the name he made for himself off the ice.
Fleury gained his well-known nickname, Flower, from the direct English translation of his last name in French to English, being well, flower. This isn’t the only thing he is known for; Fleury is well known for the pranks he would play on his teammates/friends. These (mostly) harmless pranks were a staple in Penguins hockey and the community around it, leading them to wonder what he would do next and who would be his next “victim” on the team. Always bringing fun and good energy into the locker room was one of the many ways Fleury developed his lifelong friendships. He wasn’t just known as some jokester, but as kind, caring, and someone you could talk to when needing advice.
When asked about his friend/teammate, Penguin’s Captain Sidney Crosby said, “He always showed up and worked hard, always had a smile on his face, and that hasn’t changed from his first day to now. Above and beyond what he’s accomplished, that’s the most impressive part.”
It has also been seen outside professional interviews that Fleury is extremely close with his past teammates, with his wife referring to them as their kids’ uncles in a recent caption. With all of that being said, it is easy to see why Fleury has gained so much love and favor in the city of Pittsburgh, which is why his saying goodbye to the NHL in the city and with the fans who started it all was so important to the community.
I was fortunate enough to get tickets before the prices skyrocketed for his final game. There is no way to truly describe the energy in the arena that night. Leading up to the third period (the only period he played), you could see many fans holding signs welcoming Fleury home and wearing his number on their jerseys. But the third period was something completely different. When he entered the ice in the black in gold that started it all, the entire arena went wild and cheers vibrated the stadium, chanting his name. Every time he touched the puck or stopped a puck from going into the goal, the crowd erupted. The same was true when he was shown on screen; the crowd showed him how much he was missed in the black and gold. Whether it was chanting his name or asking for “one more year,” it was made known that it was on the ice in the PPG Paints Arena that he was meant to retire. It was an emotional night, truly, and I am not afraid to admit that I cried after he left the ice for the final time, and then even more during his post-game interview. Seeing the raw emotion in his face and him realizing he got to retire with the team that started it all had me more than a little emotional.
I watched him soak in how much he is still loved by the city, no matter how long he was gone; realizing that it was finally over, he just played his final game, which was so bittersweet. Seeing his final hug on ice with his teammates watching him laugh, cry, and cheer is something I will never forget. The “Flower”‘s final farewell will be one of the most memorable nights in recent hockey years, in my opinion.
Now what’s next? Personally, I think they should retire the iconic 29 he wore, but we will have to wait and see. Regardless, Marc-Andre Fleury will forever be a Pittsburgh Penguin.