On Thursday night, after stopping all 30 shots and shutting out his favourite childhood team, Marc-Andre Fleury notched his 500th win in the NHL.
Marc-Andre Fleury Earns 500th Win with Shutout in Montreal
With the victory, Fleury joins Patrick Roy (551) and Martin Brodeur (691) as the only goalies in league history to reach 500 wins. He also became the fastest goalie ever to reach the milestone, doing it in just 901 games.
As the buzzer sounded at the Bell Centre to give the Chicago Blackhawks the 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens, the fans chanted the goaltender’s name and showed respect with a standing ovation. “It’s a little bit surreal to be amongst guys I idolized growing up,” said Fleury on joining Roy and Brodeur in an interview with the Blackhawks, “it was definitely a good feeling tonight.” Before he exited his crease to celebrate with his teammates, Fleury shared a brief moment with his father as he raised his glove up and looked to the sky.
“I had a little thought for my dad who passed away a couple years ago,” reflected Fleury after the game, “I said a little thank you for watching over me.” As he left the ice in Montreal Fleury made sure to salute the crowd, his trademark smile buried beneath his mask.
Like Fine Wine
After a difficult start for the Blackhawks on and off the ice, Fleury now sports a .913 save percentage on the season, returning to his career average, with an 8-10-0 record. It has been more than 18 years since he was drafted with the first overall pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins, but Fleury continues to look like one of the best in the league.
It’s hard to believe that during the years after his first Stanley Cup win in Pittsburgh, there were questions as to whether he could continue to compete at an NHL level. Despite consistent regular-season performances, Fleury was plagued by disappointing postseasons for years. Perhaps his lowest moment came in the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs where he posted a .834 save percentage and his Penguins were eliminated in six games in the first round. The following season, it was reported that Fleury began utilizing a sports psychologist to help regain his career momentum. That was a big step for the then 28-year-old and was the first step towards him rebuilding his confidence and returning to the fun-loving and flamboyant goaltender we see today.
The End of a Hall of Fame Career?
With Fleury turning 37 last month, many have wondered whether this will be the final season of his illustrious career. When asked about retirement on the then-31 Thoughts Podcast with Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek before the season began, Fleury said “The day will come. I’m getting older right? The body feels it some days. A lot of days… but when I get out there I still feel like a young guy. I know it will come. I’m not sure when, but I’m sure soon. So I just try to enjoy what I have right now and go one year at a time.”
With this being the last year of his current contract, and the Blackhawks not in playoff contention, we could see Fleury dealt before the NHL trade deadline on March 21st to a contending team. However, a trade is not guaranteed as the situation is about more than hockey. For Fleury, there are family considerations, and he has some agency due to his 10-team no-trade-list. Whether he calls it quits after this season or not, Fleury has no doubt put together a Hall of Fame career and left his mark on the game as one of the most likeable players of all time.
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