PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Lines stretched from where the Lemieux statue stands at PPG Paints Arena Saturday down Centre Avenue and wrapped around onto Washington Place. It nearly connected with the huge number of fans at the Fifth Avenue entrance all looking for one more chance to see Marc-Andre Fleury play as a Penguin.
It didn’t disappoint.
“It was a little surreal, a little crazy, but still also comfortable. 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.”
Fleury saw the signs, felt the love and heard the chants, even the one for ‘goalie fight’. And as for the chants of ‘one more year’, the 40-year-old said he will be limping for a couple days and is looking forward to being with his family; to be at their hockey games, school plays, Halloween. Things so many people take for granted.
“The welcome from the fans tonight, every time in warmup, every time I would touch the puck, there was a dump in, they would cheer,” Fleury said. “It was crazy, that’s for sure.”
The 13-year, three-time champion Pens goalie said he felt a little bad, that he’s done so many laps and good-byes, that’s how he put it. But he wouldn’t trade this moment, especially to have his family with him.
“I’m glad my kids were here, my wife, my sister, my mom,” Fleury said. “They could appreciate the support, the love I’ve gotten over the years in Pittsburgh. It was a special night for sure.”
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Proud of success
When he was drafted by the Pens, they were the worst team in the league. He left after three Stanley Cup championships. It’s something he takes a lot of pride in.
“As a group, it wasn’t me, it was altogether,” Fleury said. “We grinded early through those tough years, I think that was tough. It makes you learn that you don’t want to go back to those times and be losing all the time because it sucks. You are miserable. You are mad every day. The fact we had some good young guys-Stahlsy, Max, Tanger, Geno, Colby, so many guys. That helped the process and the staff was buying into it. Definitely something I will look back when I’m done, I’ve been done. Proud that we were able to do it, turn around and win a Cup.”
Why he did it for 21 years
“There is nothing that beats playing an NHL game and playing with friends and teammates and trying to find ways to win games and battle out there,” Fleury said. “The feeling of winning is always so good.”
Marc-Andre Fleury notable moments
· First pro game October 10, 2003, he stopped 46 shots and lost 3-0 to the Kings.
· First win in Pittsburgh was Oct 18, 2003, 4-3 over Detroit. The Pens goal scorers that night, Ramzi Abid, Rico Fata (2) and Martin Straka. Mario Lemieux had an assist.
· First shutout in Pittsburgh was March 12, 2006 against the Flyers. He had 22 saves and Colby Armstrong had both goals.
· Last game as a Pittsburgh Penguin in an NHL game at PPG Paints Arena was over eight years ago, May 15, 2017, a 1-0 shutout win over Ottawa.
· Best game as a Penguin was June 12, 2009 when he made 23 saves including the final at the buzzer as the Pens won the Stanley Cup in Detroit.