Despite now being retired from the NHL, former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury remains one of the most beloved former members of the Penguins, along with the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild.
While Fleury was popular with his Chicago Blackhawks teammates during his brief stint with the club in 2021-22, he’s best known for his time in Pittsburgh and Vegas.
But now, Fleury is being recognized by the Penguins with a well deserved honor. Fleury was unanimously inducted into the Penguins Hall of Fame ‘Class of 2026’, along with former two-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Larry Murphy as well as Jim Rutherford and Jack McGregor.
During his time with the Penguins, who took him with the first overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft, Fleury amassed a record of 375-216-68 with a 2.58 goals-against average, a .912 save percentage, and 44 shutouts.
He backstopped them to the 2009 Stanley Cup, and also has his name on the Stanley Cup two more times with Pittsburgh from their consecutive titles in 2016 and 2017, though he only played part of both postseason runs.
Fleury Played One Final Game With The Penguins Last Preseason
After playing the final few seasons of his NHL career with the Minnesota Wild, Fleury announced that he would play one final preseason game last fall with the Penguins, which took place in front of a sold-out crowd at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh against the divisional rival Columbus Blue Jackets.
“I don’t like to say that I’m retiring as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins,” Fleury said. “I don’t want to disrespect the Minnesota Wild. I played my last game with them, I signed my last contract with them. They did a lot for me.”
“I wanted to go back where it all began. I see it as a wink to my past. I’ll wear the Penguins jersey one last time and I’ll see some old teammates and friends again. It’s a way to come full circle.”
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas Welcomed Fleury Back To Pittsburgh Before His Last Game
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas spoke glowingly about Fleury’s infectious personality and his love of the game ahead of his final NHL contest.
“There’s always the one-day contract thing, but seeing how much fun he had playing at the World Championships and how well he played at the World Championship, as well as conversations with Marc-Andre and Allan Walsh, it just struck me as a good idea for the fan base and for Flower, and we talked about it throughout the summer,” Dubas said.
“All credit to him, he jumped on board and wants to do it,” he continued. “So I think it’ll be a very special night for the fans in Pittsburgh, for the city of Pittsburgh. It’s also unique in that there are still a number of players on our team who have played with Flower in Pittsburgh and won championships with him in 2009, 2016, and 2017. So it’s just a unique opportunity because he’s a unique person, and it should be a very special and exciting night for Marc-Andre and his family, but also for the Penguins and the fans in Pittsburgh.”
Penguins Announce Major Honor For Marc-Andre Fleury