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Marc-Andre Fleury played in his final game in a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform on Saturday, the official end of a Hall of Fame career on an emotional night at PPG Paints Arena.
Fleury took to the ice in the third period in his signature yellow pads to face the Columbus Blue Jackets in a preseason game before closing the game with a shootout, giving fans and his teammates one last chance to see him on the rink in a No. 29 Pittsburgh Penguins jersey.
During the third period, fans chanted his last name whenever they could and enthusiastically cheered every time Fleury made a save or touched the puck. The 40-year-old made eight saves over the final 20 minutes and did not allow a goal, helping the Penguins secure a 4-1 win in his final game.
The good times continued into the shootout, where Fleury stopped the first two attempts before allowing a goal on the third, ending the shootout and his time on the ice in Pittsburgh.
Before heading to the locker room, fans and players on both teams gave Fleury a standing ovation. He was then awarded the first star of the game, allowing for one more sendoff from a packed PPG Paints Arena.
“It was like old times,” Fleury said after the game. “It was nice. … I’m thankful I got this opportunity to come back for one more.”
Penguins players, including Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, wore Fleury-themed shirts in the locker room pregame, as hundreds of fans lined up early outside the area ahead of the goalie’s one-period cameo.
Fleury hit the ice pregame to the joy of fans with signs like “MAF! Your Last Game Is My First” and “Flower Power.” In an interview during the first period with SportsNet Pittsburgh, Fleury said he got “goosebumps being back.”
Saturday’s game was a farewell to a player who gave fans so much.
Ryan Glover was at Fleury’s first game in Pittsburgh during the 2002-23 season and was back for his last. He brought his 12-year-old son on Saturday.
“Incredible that I get to share this with him,” Ryan Glover said.
The father said Fleury is someone his son can look up to.
“He’s one of the purest, kindest sports guys there are,” Ryan Glover said.
Earlier this month, the fan-favorite goaltender signed a professional tryout contract with the Penguins to have a final run with the squad.
Fleury, the second-winningest goalie in NHL history, announced his retirement before last season, and he was often celebrated at each NHL arena he visited. He officially retired as a member of the Minnesota Wild in May.
On Friday, fans came out in droves to watch his final practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Fleury, drafted No. 1 overall by the Penguins in 2003, played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League. He spent 13 of those with the Penguins from 2003-17.
During his time in Pittsburgh, he solidified himself as one of the game’s best goalies and won three Stanley Cups. He played in 691 regular-season games for the team over 13 seasons, posting a 375-216-66 record, 2.58 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
In 2017, Fleury was selected 29th by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft. He spent four seasons with the Knights before joining the Chicago Blackhawks and then being traded to the Wild in 2021.
In October 2024, Fleury returned to Pittsburgh with Minnesota and started the final regular-season game of his career at PPG Paints Arena. Fleury made 26 saves in the Wild’s 5-3 win.
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©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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