Feature Photo: IG/@MinnesotaWild
This past Friday marked Marc-Andre Fleury Night as the Minnesota Wild hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins for a matchup at Xcel Energy Center, during which the veteran goalie was celebrated for two incredible recent achievements.
Fleury, who played in his 1,000th NHL game Dec. 31, also earned his 552nd win just 15 days later to surpass Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Patrick Roy for second in all-time wins among NHL goaltenders.
Friends were reunited when Penguins captain Sidney Crosby presented Fleury with a special art piece on behalf of the organization for which they won three Stanley Cups together. Pittsburgh defenceman Kris Letang also joined them to congratulate Fleury and reminisce on old times.
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While his teammates repped all things Flower around the rink in his honour, the pre-game ceremony is where all the feels hit.
“I think there’s a lot of things that make Flower special. I think his work ethic, his passion for the game. … 552 is a lot of wins, keep racking them up and congratulations,” said Crosby.
It was a message from Fleury’s three children that visibly moved the netminder, a moment made even more special with his family joining him on the ice.
“I hope to be a good model for them, a really good role model. Hopefully they can remember me playing hockey and people cheering for me, for my team, for our name. I think it means a lot,” said Fleury post-game.
To complete the night, Fleury put on a vintage performance as he helped the Wild to a 3-2 victory, making a total of 34 saves right down to the final seconds to hold off his former team and complete the perfect night.
