Penguins Sends Parting Message To Marc-Andre Fleury on Thursday

Marc-Andre Fleury’s NHL career came to an emotional close on Thursday night, and the Pittsburgh Penguins made sure to salute one of the most iconic players in franchise history.

Following the Minnesota Wild's elimination in Game 6 of their first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Fleury officially ended his 21-season run in the league.

The Penguins, who drafted Fluery with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NHL draft, posted a tribute on X that included photos of Fleury throughout his career, including his time in Pittsburgh, Chicago, Vegas, and Minnesota, as well as images of him hoisting the two of the three Stanley Cups he won with the Penguins.

“What a ride, Flower! Congratulations to Marc-Andre Fleury on a phenomenal NHL career. We've been privileged to be a part of it,” the Penguins wrote.

The NHL also recognized the moment with a pair of posts on the league's official account on X.

One included a career retrospective clip captioned: “There will never be another quite like Flower. Thanks for all the memories, Marc-Andre Fleury.”

Fleury spent 13 seasons with the Penguins after starting his career in Pittsburgh, helping lead the franchise to three Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016, and 2017.

Although he didn’t dress in Thursday’s 3-2 loss to Vegas, Fleury took part in the postgame handshake line. Wild fans chanted his name as he circled the ice one final time at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (29) makes a save against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Fleury appeared in 1,051 regular-season games, starting 886 of them. He also logged 170 postseason appearances in the net across his 21-year career.

The netminder hangs his pads with 575 regular-season wins, second most in league history, and 92 playoff victories for the third-most combined wins between regular-season and postseason matchups.

Fleury won the Vezina Trophy in 2021 and appeared in five Stanley Cup Finals, the latest two with the Golden Knights.