MONTREAL — During one of the most emotional moments of his career, Marc-Andre Fleury struggled to hold it together.
First came the goose bumps. Then came some tears.
“I’m getting old,” he joked. “Getting soft.”
Time stood still with 7 minutes, 42 seconds left in the third period Thursday night at the Bell Centre. During a TV timeout, the giant video screen flashed a photo of Fleury with the words, “Congrats on your legendary career,” in both English and French.
The sellout crowd stood on its feet and gave a Hall of Fame-level salute to a Hall of Fame player. It was a mix of hardcore Canadiens fans, Wild fans wearing a green No. 29 jersey, and 100-plus of Fleury’s family and friends who bussed in an hour from his hometown of Sorel-Tracy. The standing ovation rose to a crescendo, lasting for more than two minutes, including chants of “FLEURY!” The linesmen took their time dropping the puck to let the moment breathe.
Nobody does it quite like Montreal, especially for one of its own.
“They get it,” Wild GM Bill Guerin said.
Video of that third-period standing ovation for Marc-André Fleury in Montreal. pic.twitter.com/HEc4aFAjCr
— Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) January 31, 2025
Fleury kept skating in circles back and forth from the corner to his crease. He said he thought, “Go boys. Go play.”
Then he pointed to his heart and waved to the stands.
“A couple blurry eyes,” he said. “It was an honor. An honor to be part of it.”
But players from both sides stood still on the ice and were in awe. The score, which ended up 4-0 Minnesota, didn’t matter. Nothing did. This was always going to be Fleury’s night, and the fact he pitched a shutout in his swan song was beyond storybook. It was like it was written in the stars.
“It was crazy,” Wild winger Marcus Foligno said. “Wherever he was looking, everyone rose up like it was a concert. It was insane.”
“To be honest, it took me a lot not to cry,” Quebec-born teammate Freddy Gaudreau said. “Because I love this guy. You realize the legend he is and his last game at home in front of all the people he loves, all the people that love him and the fans that love him. It’s unbelievable.
“It’s bigger than any words I can use. That’s hockey at its purest. It’s poetry, honestly. It’s beautiful.”
Fleury grew up a huge Canadiens fan. He idolized Patrick Roy, not knowing he’d eventually become part of the legendary line of Quebec-born goalies, including Martin Brodeur and Roberto Luongo.
“When I was playing in the basement or the outdoor rink,” Fleury said, “I was Patrick Roy making the save in Game 7.”
Fleury didn’t attend many games, noting “tickets weren’t cheap,” and they were cheaper back then. But when Montreal won the Stanley Cup on June 9, 1993, Fleury’s late father, Andre, got him out of bed so they could watch the end — and the celebration — together.
“That really put the dream in my head of seeing that,” Fleury said. “And wanting to be there.”
Fleury has his name on the Stanley Cup three times, winning with Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016 and 2017. But it’s not the numbers that define Fleury’s greatness — even if he is second all-time in wins. It’s not what has made him almost a cult figure in the sport, leading to the kind of farewell tour you’ve rarely ever seen. And, no, it’s not his rep as an all-time prankster.
He’s arguably the most beloved player in the league because of the pure joy he brings to the game. Because of how he treats people. Because of how he embraces the fans — everywhere. And now they’re all giving “Flower” his flowers.
“He’s earned it,” said Guerin, Fleury’s former teammate in Pittsburgh and now Wild president of hockey operations and GM. “He’s got a good personality, he’s a funny guy, a great goalie. He’s a good guy. And he’s never changed. Now a lot of different markets have seen him. It’s like, ‘Oh, now we get it.’”
Wild players have said they feel honored to be part of this final chapter in Fleury’s career. Sure, Minnesota acquired him in a deadline deal from Chicago three years ago. But Fleury chose to sign not one, but two extensions to stay and told Guerin he didn’t want to leave at last year’s deadline when they were on the wrong side of the playoff bubble. Guerin said Fleury has helped shape the team’s culture and mentor goalies like Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt.
And Fleury’s teammates were hell-bent on not letting him down Thursday. They played lockdown defense, surrendering just eight shots through the first two periods.
“We didn’t want the night to go any other way,” Gaudreau said. “Every game is big in this league, but this one had a special flavor to it. Guys would have blocked shots with their face.”
Fleury told Gustavsson and goalie coach Frederic Chabot at one point it was the most tired he’d felt without facing a shot.
“Just the stress, the emotions, right?” he said. “The anticipation. It takes the energy out of you.”
Fleury flashed his trademark smile.
“I was just hoping to not let in six,” he joked. “Little stress with so many people watching. I wanted to put on a good show so they can remember me playing well. I’m happy it went well.”
Fleury made just 19 saves, but some were vintage. There was his sprawling poke check on a Josh Anderson breakaway, with Fleury’s stick and blocker flying back toward the boards. There was Fleury’s windmill, double-pad stack stop on Anderson in the third, sparking another ovation. He’s the first player in NHL history to record a shutout as a teenager and as a 40-plus-year-old.
Flower bringing us the High Energy Play of the week 🔋#mnwild x @xcelenergy pic.twitter.com/RruqGeI49e
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 31, 2025
“And usually the bigger save, the more emotional the stage, the better he gets,” John Hynes said.
With the game no longer in doubt in the final five minutes, the countdown began. You heard more “FLEURY!” chants as the clock winded down. At the final buzzer, each one of Fleury’s Wild teammates, starting with Brock Faber, skated to the crease and gave him a big hug.
Then, Fleury turned to mid-ice and was surprised. There was the entire Canadiens team lining up for a handshake, like you would at the end of a playoff series. Defenseman Mike Matheson had the idea and told captain Nick Suzuki they should do something. Suzuki had the team stick around. The coaches did, too.
“I think it was our obligation to do that,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “Even with the result.”
“It was humbling,” Fleury said. “I don’t think I’ve done that before. I was a little surprised, but it was very kind.”
The entire Canadiens team shook Marc-Andre Fleury’s hand after his final game in Montreal 🥹🌸 pic.twitter.com/RL8hZEtqWk
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) January 31, 2025
Fleury has won bigger games, of course. But the combination of the emotions, the performance, the finality — where did this moment rank in his illustrious career?
“It’s up there,” he said. “My career has been full of ups and downs. Lot of battles to keep going. To have the respect of my teammates and the other teams and other players around the league, the fans, it means a lot to me.”
Fleury practices as if he’s still a teenager hungry for his first game. He routinely stays late after sessions at TRIA in St. Paul to sign autographs for fans. On Wednesday, after the morning skate in Toronto, Guerin almost had to go out and get him for the assembled media. “Doesn’t he know he’s 40?” Guerin joked. “He needs to get off the ice.”
Fleury came into the dressing room and saw a couple of kids wearing his No. 29 in a green Wild jersey. Just like Roy was his idol, Fleury is that guy for so many kids — like one of the many who held signs behind the glass for warmups Thursday night.
“FLEURY TU ES MON IDOLE!”
Taking it all in 🌸 pic.twitter.com/rO01RFRHZN
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 31, 2025
You sure you want to retire?
“I think I’ll be ready,” Fleury said, smiling. “I still feel good. I still love to play, compete with the guys. I feel very fortunate to be able to do this for so long. It’s the best job in the world, right? It doesn’t feel like a job. I just play hockey and I love it. And to be able to go out on my own terms, too, that’s something not many guys can do.”
“It never ends the way you want it to — it’s very rare,” Guerin said. “I can think of three guys who won the Cup and retired.”
It’ll be interesting to see what Fleury wants to do after his playing career, as he’ll have options. When The Athletic asked Fleury last month if he’d want to join the Wild front office, the goaltender quipped he didn’t think the team had room.
“He shouldn’t say that because he doesn’t know,” Guerin said, laughing. “I think it’s going to be really important that he takes some time. Him and I are obviously close. We can talk about it when the time is right.”
For now, Fleury is soaking in every moment. The calendar keeps flipping quicker, from the Christmas break to the 4 Nations in a few weeks. He doesn’t think about the end as much, though we keep on reminding him. This night was one he had circled on his calendar, though.
His mother, France, came. So did his sister, Marylène. Fleury’s wife, Véronique, and their three kids flew in, as well.
“I don’t know what it’s like to be in that guy’s shoes,” Foligno said. “I wish sometimes I was. It’s insane. You get a whole city, a province, behind you. It’s amazing. You see people who aren’t supposed to be cheering for you applauding you. If you can do something like that at the end of your career, that says something about you as a player and a person.”
Fleury took one final curtain call as the No. 1 star of the game, waving to the adoring crowd. He went into the dressing room and was handed the player of the game “HARD” chain by Jon Merrill.
“A special night for a special guy,” Merrill said to the group.
“This one meant a lot to me,” Fleury told them. “Appreciate it.”
Who else??? ⛓️ pic.twitter.com/lAuSzACt5p
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) January 31, 2025
Among the French and English questions thrown at Fleury after the game, he was asked why he would want to leave this. What will he miss the most?
“I’m coming back,” Fleury joked. “You know, that was fun, so let’s do it again. Let’s do this again.”
(Top photo: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images)
