Imagine walking back into the building where your dreams began. After 21 seasons, three Stanley Cups, hundreds of thousands of saves, and more ovations than most will ever get, Marc-André Fleury is making one last pilgrimage—and it’s both nostalgic and electric. At 40, the veteran goaltender is suiting up again for a professional tryout with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the franchise where his legend was born.
Penguins Ice
September 12 – Marc-Andre Fleury is returning to the Pittsburgh Penguins — on a professional tryout contract, that is.
The Penguins announced Friday morning that Fleury will suit up with the team to participate in a practice on Sept. 26. The 40-year-old is then expected to play in Pittsburgh’s exhibition game against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets the following night.
“The entire Penguins organization is honored to welcome Marc-Andre Fleury back to the ice in Pittsburgh,” said Kyle Dubas, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager.
Circle Back: Retirement Tour Turns Full-Circle
Fleury officially retired after the 2024-25 NHL season. His final games were with the Minnesota Wild, where he bowed out having tallied 575 career wins, putting him second on the all-time wins list for NHL goalies, behind only Martin Brodeur.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was perfect. His last regular-season outing, and final playoff appearance, were a culmination of decades of effort, resilience, and joy in the crease.
Yet, even as he stepped away, the requests didn’t stop. Five NHL teams reportedly reached out in hopes Fleury might un-retire. Each time, he nodded with gratitude, then said no—until now Penguins Ice.
A Hero’s Welcome: Memories, Milestones, and Heart
It’s hard to overstate what Fleury means to Pittsburgh. Drafted first overall in 2003, he carried the black and gold through some of its toughest and brightest moments—three Stanley Cups, the rise of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and a reputation as one of the most reliable, beloved goalies ever.
In Montreal, his hometown area, his farewell was nothing short of emotional. A shutout win over the Canadiens in late January 2025 turned into a homecoming. Handshakes from the opposition, chants from the crowd, tears in his eyes. He became the first goalie in NHL history to record a shutout both as a teenager and at age 40.
Alex Ovechkin and other greats paused mid-game to salute him.Penguins Ice Fans filled the Saddledome in Calgary to give him a send-off. At every stop, the applause wasn’t just for saves—it was for a lifetime of character, of grit, of nights pushing the boundaries of what a goalie can endure.
The Tryout, The Legacy, The Lasting Echo
So why a tryout now? The Penguins announcement is more than symbolic. It’s a nod to Fleury’s roots, a chance for final closure in front of a crowd that cheered him before many current NHL players were born. Practice on September 26; an exhibition game against the Columbus Blue Jackets the next night.
This isn’t likely to launch a full comeback. It’s not about stats anymore. It’s about heritage, health, and the human moments between the thunderous saves. Kyle Dubas, Penguins’ GM, said Fleury means “so much to our team, our fans, and the City of Pittsburgh because of the person he is.”
Legends don’t always pick how their stories end. Sometimes, the end picks them. For Marc-André Fleury, this full-circle return feels right. The man who once dreamed of Stanley Cups now gets to skate once more in the place it all began. And for fans—old and new—it’s a moment to hold close.
So here’s your cliff-hanger: when the puck drops in that Penguins exhibition, will it feel like goodbye… or simply a legacy unto itself?
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