It's one of the most telling parts of hockey when a player, coach, or referee goes to battle for 60 minutes, and then the teams line up to pay them respect at the end of the game. They say the post-series handshake is one of the greatest traditions in sports, but it feels even more special when teams do it voluntarily when a respected individual is retiring. Marc-Andre Fleury played his last game in his home province on Thursday night, so after the game, the Canadiens lined up to wish him good luck in retirement.
Fleury always had a flair for the dramatic. It's what made him so well-liked amongst fans, and it all started when he was part of the historic Canada World Junior teams in 2003 and 2004. No one will ever forget the Halifax World Junior tournament when Fleury won the top goaltender and tournament MVP, but Canada fell to Russia in the gold medal game. Fleury had another stellar tournament the following year but again lost in the gold medal game. Throughout his World Junior career, Fleury owned a 1.70 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in ten games.
Losing wouldn't become a part of Fleury's career, as he went on to plenty of success. He'd win three Stanley Cups as a Pittsburgh Penguin, one as the starter earlier in his career, but two as a tandem with Matt Murray, where he was more of a backup in the first year of the back-to-back but played 15 games in the second year. He then went on to be the face of the early days of Vegas Golden Knights hockey, led them to the finals in his first year there, and was a massive part of building the culture that led them to win the storied trophy, albeit after he had left.
Fleury finally won his first Vezina Trophy in 2020-21 while also collecting the Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed. It was his way of proving once again that he was one of his era's best and most reliable goaltenders. He outlasted all his peers and is still having success with the Minnesota Wild in his final season. It may not be his final dramatic act. Still, the 19-save shutout against the Montreal Canadiens in his final game in Quebec perfectly encapsulated Fleury's ability to step up when all eyes are on him.
If the Canadiens don't make the postseason, Quebec hockey fans should have a rooting interest. It'd be hard to argue that Fleury winning a Stanley Cup in his final NHL season wouldn't make sense when looking back at the rest of his career. If Fleury goes out in a blaze of glory as he did when he came into the league, it would be one of the greatest stories in NHL history. In total, Fleury is 27-13-6 in 47 games against Montreal, owning a 2.91 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.