Penguins Thrilled To Be Part of 'Marc-Andre Fleury Night'

Minnesota is holding Marc-Andre Fleury Night on Friday against Pittsburgh to commemorate the netminder for reaching 1,000 games played in the NHL and securing 552 career wins, moving past Patrick Roy for second-most all-time among NHL goaltenders.

The Penguins are truly thrilled to be a part of the celebration for one of the most popular and beloved players to ever don the black and gold, with Fleury spending the first 13 seasons of his career with the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2003, and winning three Stanley Cups.

“He’s been a huge part of the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, and the success that they had for the time he was here,” Head Coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s a Hall of Fame-caliber goalie. I know that the guys that he played with just have a ton of respect for him as a person and as a goaltender, as do all the coaches and managers, everyone who has had the opportunity and privilege to work with Flower.

“He has a zest for life. He loves the game. He’s a terrific guy, and his personality is contagious.”

It's almost difficult for his old friends and teammates to wrap their heads around Fleury’s recent historic accomplishments, particularly him becoming just the fourth netminder to appear in 1,000 games, because they’re just so impressive.

“It’s amazing for a goalie!” Evgeni Malkin said. “I’m glad he’s still playing and playing very well… I’m proud. He’s family, and he’s an amazing guy. We all know he smiles every day, doesn’t matter what’s going on.”

“When they said 1,000 games, I was like, ‘one thousand games dressed,’ or…” Kris Letang said while smiling and shaking his head. “I couldn't even believe it, that's how crazy it is. It's cool that they're doing this night against us. It’s going to be pretty cool.”

“That’s pretty much unheard of, for a goalie to be at 1,000,” Sidney Crosby said. “It’s pretty amazing what he's been able to do, the consistency he's had. … He’s had an amazing career. Definitely enjoyed playing with him… it’ll be nice to celebrate there with him. “

Crosby had played against Fleury in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and played with him at the 2004 World Junior Championship before becoming his teammate in Pittsburgh, two years after the Penguins traded up to select Fleury and lay the foundation for what would eventually become a championship team.

“He came in at a young age with a lot of pressure and expectation. He passed by a mile, as far as what the expectations were,” Crosby said. “He set the tone. When you have a goalie like that, you have a chance to win every single night.”

When Fleury reflects on his time in Pittsburgh in particular, the first of those 1,000 games on Oct. 10, 2003, is a memory that will always stand out. “A dream come true playing here, such a nice welcome by the fans and stuff,” he said when the Wild came to town in December.

“Then playing with Mario (Lemieux), right? That was amazing. Obviously, there’s the Cups (in 2009, ’16 and ’17). Winning is always nice, and what we play for. I think the journey to get there, too. Sid getting drafted, Geno, Tanger, Staalsy (Jordan Staal), Colby (Armstrong), Max Talbot… we had a bunch of young guys, and then we lost together, and then started winning every year a bit more all the way to the Cup. I thought it was very fun to be part of that process, that journey.”

As for his former Penguins teammates, when they think back on their time with Fleury, they can’t help but smile.

Fleury has got such a unique attitude in the sense that he’s incredibly competitive, with Letang saying, “he would fight every single puck. I think that's his best attribute, is fighting. He's fighting out there. He's trying on every single puck. He’s determined to not allow any goals.”

But Fleury never lets that affect how he carries himself around the rink, always smiling and laughing, joking and chirping, and playing his famous pranks.

“They're pretty rare, those guys, that they see every single day as a new opportunity to get better and to enjoy playing hockey,” Letang said. “Obviously, like, you look at what he accomplished for his career. But also, we don't talk enough about what he brought to the table inside the room. To have a guy like him to come in and have this attitude every single day was good for the group.”

“When it’s someone who's had so much success and has been around for 20 years, I think makes all the younger guys feel a bit lighter and makes kind of everybody feel a little bit lighter,” Bryan Rust said.

As the journey has gone on to feature stops with three other teams – Vegas (who took Fleury in the 2017 Expansion Draft), Chicago, and now Minnesota – he continues to bring that same sort of demeanor.

“Even though we’re not playing the same team, I know what he's like, and you hear his teammates talk about him, and that's the thing that comes up a lot – is just the energy and the passion that he has still to this day,” Crosby said. “So, it says a lot about him and about him as a player and a person.”

There’s a real possibility Friday will be the last time the Penguins face Fleury, as the 39-year-old has acknowledged that this season could be his last one. He plans to think about it more once the year is over, and in the meantime, is trying to enjoy every second.

“I think you just try to remember the great moments, and obviously, (Friday) will be a special one, if that's the case,” Crosby said.