Fleury bids emotional farewell in last Pens game

PITTSBURGH -- Marc-Andre Fleury stopped each 8 shots helium faced during the 3rd play of his last crippled with the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 4-1 preseason triumph against the Columbus Blue Jackets connected Saturday night.

Fleury officially retired from the NHL arsenic a subordinate of the Minnesota Wild astatine the extremity of past season. But the beloved 40-year-old goaltender signed a ceremonial nonrecreational tryout declaration earlier this period to spot aged teammates and friends, travel afloat ellipse and implicit a 21-season NHL vocation that began successful Pittsburgh.

Fleury, a erstwhile Vezina Trophy victor who besides played with Vegas and Chicago, is 2nd successful NHL past lone to Martin Brodeur with 575 wins and 1,051 regular-season games played, and his 76 NHL shutouts are tied for 10th successful league history.

But this nighttime was meant to observe Fleury, who is astir well-known for his clip successful Pittsburgh wherever helium won 3 Stanley Cups and holds astir each large goaltending grounds successful Penguins' history, including games played (691), wins (375), goals-against mean (2.58), shutouts (44), playoff games (115), playoff wins (62) and playoff shutouts with 10.

Fleury, who practiced with the Penguins connected Friday, wore his acquainted bright, yellowish pads and a specially made disguise to commemorate the peculiar weekend. Fleury was offered a prime arsenic to erstwhile helium could play connected Saturday and helium opted for the 3rd play to effort to triumph 1 much crippled with the Penguins.

The sellout assemblage roseate to its feet successful unison and gave Fleury a lasting ovation arsenic helium led the Penguins' from the passageway to statesman the 3rd period. Loud chants of "Fle-ury" "Fle-ury" and "One More Year" filled the arena minutes aft the puck dropped to statesman the period. Fans erupted with thunderous applause each clip Fleury made a prevention oregon touched the puck, including stops connected Hudson Fasching, Cole Sillinger and Erik Gudbranson.

In the last 2 minutes, with the crippled successful hand, the assemblage showered Fleury with chants of "Thank You Fleury." When the last horn sounded, chap franchise cornerstones Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang embraced Fleury 1 much clip successful the crease.

Fleury spent the archetypal 13 seasons of his vocation with the Penguins. He helped Crosby, Malkin and Letang triumph the Stanley Cup successful 2009, 2016 and 2017 earlier Vegas selected Fleury successful the 2017 enlargement draft.

Pittsburgh traded up to draught an 18-year-old Fleury No. 1 wide successful 2003 during a tumultuous play successful which the franchise astir moved. More than 2 decades later, Pittsburgh is nary longer a playoff fixture, but Fleury helped stabilize the franchise and crook the Penguins into 1 of the NHL's marquee teams.

His signature infinitesimal with Pittsburgh came June 12, 2009, successful Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against Detroit. Fleury made a last-second desperation, post-to-post diving prevention connected Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom to seal a 2-1 triumph and present Pittsburgh its 3rd Stanley Cup.

The fans remembered connected Saturday.

Before the game, crowds gathered aggregate rows heavy down the Penguins' extremity hoping to drawback a glimpse of Fleury during his last pregame warmup with the team. Many took photos and video to commemorate the moment, wore acquainted No. 29 jerseys and held homemade signs expressing their emotion for Fleury, who lobbed pucks implicit the solid successful betwixt facing shots.