Flower Gets His Flowers

THANK YOU PITTSBURGH

Marc-Andre Fleury included that message in the design of his mask for his final appearance in black and gold, and reiterated it to the crowd before leaving the ice.

"Some of the best times of my life, it’s in big part because of you guys," Fleury said.

The city came out in droves to bid farewell to the beloved netminder, returning the sentiment by chanting “THANK YOU FLEURY!” to cap off a night where they gave Flower his flowers.

“The reception was unreal,” Sidney Crosby said. “Just so deserving. And give a lot of credit to our fans for the way that they turned out and supported him and showed the love that he deserves.”

To paraphrase something Crosby said the other day, there will never be another Marc-Andre Fleury. He is a unique player who put together a Hall of Fame career spanning 22 seasons, ranking him second all-time in wins and games played. His longest tenure was in Pittsburgh, where he spent 13 seasons from 2003 to 2017 and won three Stanley Cup championships.

But the numbers aren’t what come to mind when you think about Fleury. It’s the talent, the competitiveness, the athleticism, the acrobatic saves. It's the zest for life, the prankster sense of humor, the unfailing kindness. It's the type of teammate and person he is. And of course, that smile. All of that combined endeared him to everyone, and resulted in an evening that felt like lightning in a bottle.

“What's not to love? That's the question, honestly,” Kris Letang said. “Just his personality, there's not a mean bone in his body. He comes to the rink with a big smile on his face. He plays the game with a big smile. He's a great teammate, obviously. So, it’s hard not to love a guy like that.

“Especially when he came in as an 18-year-old, first overall pick, tons of pressure. But he comes to the rink with the same mindset, same mentality, battles hard, and he does it with a smile.”

It was a brilliant idea by Kyle Dubas to give the retired goaltender a full-circle moment and allow the fans to properly salute Fleury in a Penguins uniform, rather than a different one.

“We talk a lot about the short-term, frankly, issues and matters and challenges. But I think, especially what I’ve learned in a city like this that just values their sports teams and players that really bring special moments to the team, having a chance to do something like this for Marc-Andre – but also for the fans – became something that was important to us,” said Dubas, Pittsburgh’s President of Hockey Operations and GM.

So, Fleury ultimately agreed to come in on a professional tryout contract, allowing him to spend a couple of days with the team. He practiced with the guys on Friday, then went through a morning skate on Saturday before playing one period that night.

“I was a little worried about giving up six goals that one period,” Fleury said with a laugh. “I didn’t want to, like, ruin the game or anything like that, right? But to have the opportunity to do it, I feel that's how we spent most of our time together... it's in that practice routine, game day routine, and having time with them in the locker room before practice or before the game and stuff like that.”

When Fleury's night was first announced, the game quickly sold out. On game day, people started gathering around PPG Paints Arena in the early afternoon. Shortly before doors opened, lines at the gates wrapped around the entire building, a scene reminiscent of playoff hockey.

Emily Corcoran brought her son Gus, who started loving hockey about a year ago, and Fleury is his favorite.

“We have goalie equipment because he wants to be just like Fleury. He plays dek hockey as a goalie because he wants to be just like Fleury. When this happened, there’s only so many moments you get with your kid, and this is it,” Emily said. “What we love about him is his passion without being rough. He just brings fun into the game. He keeps the fun in these games. He is just someone that I want my child to look up to.”

Emily and Gus were among the Penguins faithful who wanted to be inside for warmups so they could be down at the glass. Many of them were armed with the most heartwarming signs, thanking Fleury for the impact he has had.

“I try to read them when I skate around, just something to do, right?” Fleury grinned. “But everybody has been so kind to me and my family around here. It's always fun to see those, when younger kids are writing and saying that they only play goalie and stuff, and they have always been watching. I don't know, I think it's obviously very flattering, but humbling, too.”

Wearing his bright yellow pads that were a nod to the early days, Fleury took the ice for warmups fourth-to-last - ahead of Kris Letang, Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. They took a photo together before heading back to the locker room, with Fleury scheduled to play the final frame.

“The staff was great,” Fleury said. “They asked me if I wanted the first or third. I thought in the first, I would be a little warm or loose after warming up. Then, I thought in the third … winning the game, that’s something I want to be able to do again. I would love to just be able to win a game.”

So, when the Penguins returned for puck drop, Fleury stayed in the runway with his hat on – but the spotlight found him, and the crowd chanted his name. At that point, Fleury’s former teammate who is now on the coaching staff gave him a little nudge.

“(Nick) Bonino, Bonino, Bonino came and told me, ‘Hey, do you want to stand at the blue line one last time?’” Fleury said. “I (said), ‘Yeah, sure. Why not?’”

Fleury joined Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Bryan Rust and promptly got goosebumps during the national anthem. Then, with Pittsburgh holding a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, it was time for the moment everyone had been waiting for.

Fleury took the ice for the third period to loud cheers and a standing ovation from the crowd, who had been voicing their support for him all night. And what was so impressive is that the cheers never died down when it came to Fleury. It was like they held their breath waiting for him to be involved, and every single time Fleury touched the puck or made a save, the crowd responded. They were focused entirely on No. 29. It was remarkable, and reminiscent of Fleury's NHL debut on Oct. 10, 2003 - where he made 46 saves, including a breakaway stop.

“A little surreal, a little crazy,” Fleury said. “But still also comfortable, it felt like. Every time I played here with other teams, I always felt a little bit weird coming in and playing here. This time, it felt normal, like it used to. A lot of nerves too. I didn’t want to mess up for the guys. I wanted to keep them in in the game. So, it was fun.”

As Crosby said, Fleury looked really good stopping all eight shots he faced despite not training during the summer, for obvious reasons. After the buzzer sounded, a shootout was held per Fleury’s request. He managed to work in some pushups for old time’s sake. Then, when the game ended, Fleury, Crosby, Malkin and Letang had a moment together in the crease.

“We were just smiling. Just happy,” Crosby said. “I think it's one of those things that you don't expect to get the chance to do. It doesn't always work out that way. And for him to still be playing at the level that he is, and to accept to do this, you know? Some guys wouldn't have accepted to do this. And I think it was him who even wanted the shootout. He could have just called it at the game, but he wanted the breakaways [Laughs]. That's the thing about him, there's never too many shots. It's never enough. That passion's always been there.”

The guys convinced Fleury to do one final lap, with both teams staying out to tap their sticks, before an on-ice interview with his old friend Dan Potash. Crosby stayed in the runway to watch before Fleury walked down into the Penguins locker room one last time. There, Fleury, his wife Veronique and their three children - Estelle, Scarlett and James - visited with people in the organization.

“It was like old times. It was nice,” Fleury said. “You keep trying to make me emotional the last couple of days. The staff, the media, you guys, it was good. It was like we did so many times, right. I’m thankful I got this. This opportunity to come back for one more. Sorry if I keep doing this to you guys and the fans. It was a lot of fun... I appreciate the support, the love I’ve gotten over the years in Pittsburgh. It was a special night, for sure.”