A 'Fleury' of Smiles in Practice

Marc-Andre Fleury and Sidney Crosby had a lot of success together in Pittsburgh, winning three Stanley Cup championships. But talking to them both last season around Fleury’s final NHL game against the Penguins in Minnesota, they both said how much they enjoyed practicing together.

“That might be what I loved the most, just being on the ice and having a lot of shots, see the guys a bunch, be able to chirp a bit here and there,” Fleury said. “That's a lot of fun for me.”

So, getting a chance to battle against one another during a Friday afternoon session ahead of Fleury’s final game in black and gold was something they appreciated every moment of.

“Just trying to enjoy it,” Crosby said. “You do that, I don't know, hundreds of times, thousands of times, and you take it for granted. To get a chance to do that today was a lot of fun.”

Even though the skate wasn’t scheduled until noon, the parking lot at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex was full well before 10 AM. At one point, fans were lined up out the door for a chance to see the beloved goaltender.

Fleury was already in the player facilities with his longtime teammates, having breakfast with Crosby and Kris Letang. That was another plus of this whole setup, as every other time Fleury came to Pittsburgh after his tenure ended in 2017, he was here to play a game with the other team. Now, Fleury has no real pressure and plenty of time to go through the daily routine they had together for 13 years.

“Usually it's always pretty quick, you know? The regular season schedule is always pretty busy,” Fleury said. “You come in, skate quick, get back to hotel, eat, nap, come back to the rink, and there's not much free time. So, it's good to be on the side of the locker room for once, just to have some time. Like this morning, sitting at breakfast, having little talks is good. Just to be able to spend some time like we used to.”

Fleury suited up in yellow pads similar to the ones he debuted back in 2003, a perfect nod to coming full circle over the past two days, while his helmet paid homage to all the ones he wore in Pittsburgh.

“He had a very specific style, which I think you could see,” Crosby said. “You could see him express that, and that’s pretty cool. I think a lot of players express themselves differently or are known for different things. His style is always pretty unique with his pads and the way that he played the game, pretty acrobatic and pretty athletic. That will always stand out.”

Fleury then took the ice to cheers from the several hundred people gathered in the stands, who began chanting his name, with his teammates remarking on the impressive turnout.

“You can see what he meant to this city every time he stepped in or near the net,” Bryan Rust said. “The crowd went wild. The place was full for practice. That just says it all.”

When Fleury first lined up between his old friends the goalposts, his buddies immediately began shooting on him. Kris Letang got one five-hole, with Fleury yelping, “AHH!” He later stacked the pads on Crosby, who still managed to score, much to his delight.

“He’s always making noises out there,” Rust said. “If you score, he’s saying,’ Hey dude, good shot!’ If he makes the save, he’s always laughing or in your face or chirping you a little bit. He’s always working hard, battling on rebounds. I don’t think anybody has as much fun as him out there.”

Which isn't typical for a goalie.

"They’re usually pretty quiet, keep to themselves, and do their own thing. Flower was always a little bit different in that way. I think he really enjoyed just being out there," Crosby said. "Goalies like to focus on specific things, and he did that, but he also did any drill after practice that maybe wasn’t necessarily for him, but he turned it into a competition. Without keeping score and without making it clear that it was a competition, there was also that subtle competition going on."

When Fleury wasn’t hooting and hollering, he was talking with goalie coach Andy Chido, his rookie season teammate, and assistant coach Nick Bonino, his teammate during the back-to-back Cup runs. Fleury actually tapped Bonino on the skate while passing by and pretended it wasn’t him before the two spent time catching up.

“It's been a few years, you know? But doesn't feel like it,” Fleury said when doing media availability from his old locker stall. “It's so good to see the guys, obviously. But you guys and other staff members that are still the same. Bones is now a coach, too, eh? [And Chico!] Chico, too, yeah! Definitely very fortunate to be able to come back for a couple of days.”

While Fleury felt like a kid at heart, his body felt all of his 40 years, a big reason he decided to officially hang up the skates for good.

“I obviously love hockey, love this,” Fleury said. “I love everything about the game, being around the guys, and love playing, love practicing. And I’ve found out that there's nothing else I can do that will fulfill that hole, right, of playing hockey. But at the same time, I'm older, slower, more hurt, a little more sore, and not as flexible, as fast, maybe. Yeah, I think it’s time.”

Kyle Dubas, who came up with the idea to bring Fleury back in this fashion, said having him around a new generation of Penguins netminders – Tristan Jarry, Arturs Silovs, Sergei Murashov and Filip Larsson – could have an immeasurable impact. Just like the one Fleury has had on so many kids around Pittsburgh, who chose to be goalies because of him.

“I’m just happy that they find something they love. I hope they like it as much as I do,” Fleury said. “I feel a lot of times they put the kid that can't skate or you know [laughs], ‘just go play goalie for a little bit!’ But I think to me, it was so much fun growing up, and it still is. Felt four years old out there today. And if I can share my passion for the position with young kids, and they can try it and see how much they love it too, it’s fun. Do your best, have some fun on the ice. I think that's pretty cool.”