STOCKHOLM — Not even Sidney Crosby saw it coming.
No, not a famous Flower prank.
But the opportunity, one last time, to ride with Marc-André Fleury as teammates with Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
“It’s something that I didn’t even think was going to be a possibility, to be honest with you,” Crosby said. “It’s even better that way when you least expect it. Playing against him in Minnesota, and then seeing him play his final game there in the playoffs, I just chalked it up as an amazing career and was happy for him and happy for all the recognition and just the response that he got all the way through the year.
“But I never thought I’d ever have the chance to play with him again.
“It’s pretty cool.”
Fleury has added some flavour to Canada’s contingent at Worlds, his first-ever foray on this particular stage.
The energy, to hear Wild teammate Jared Spurgeon tell it, is palpable.
Always is with No. 29.
“He’s always having fun out there whether it’s practice or games,” said Spurgeon, he himself making his international debut for Canada. “He’s always hootin’ and hollering and enjoying it. We sort of know that this is the end, so obviously for him to commit to coming out here and play the way he has is awesome.”
The 40-year-old, who finished his last regular season 14-9-1 with a 2.93 goals-against average, .899 save percentage and one shutout in 26 regular-season games with Minnesota, isn’t just out there for kicks.
He’s kicking pucks out, too.
In three starts for Canada, the loveable tender is sporting a 0.97 goals-against average and .944 save percentage while serving as backup to 4 Nations Face-Off winner and St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington.
There’s still a little gas left in the tank, it seems.
“I know what he brings… that energy, that fun, that love of the game, that professionalism,” said Canada bench boss Dean Evison, who manned Minnesota’s bench as an assistant and head coach from 2018 to the early stages of the 2024-25 season. “What stands out with him is that he has all that fun but when the puck drops he’s all business and he gets after it. He’s a great guy to lead our team.
“When you’re at that age and you’re playing this elite and conducting yourself if you were 18 or 19-years-old, it’s pretty special.”
The opportunity, according to Fleury, is, too.
“Thankful,” he summed.
“I’m thankful for it. It’s always an honor to wear this jersey and to be a part of Team Canada, right? Happy to be here. We have such a good bunch of guys, and a good club also.”
A golden club, potentially.
Canada sits with just one defeat through the first six skates of preliminary play, a 2-1 shootout setback to Finland on Monday that came, disappointingly, in what could be the last competitive game of Fleury’s career.
Instead of reflecting on two decades, smiley stopper recounted the seven-minute segment that was the difference between victory and defeat.
“I didn’t overthink it,” said Fleury, who ranks second-all time in games played (1,051), wins (575), and time on ice — logging over 60,000 minutes along the way. “I was just trying to stop the puck, trying to keep my team in the game. I just wish I made a few more saves there in the shootout to give these guys a win.”
Team-first Fleury.
Which is why the team wants to put Fleury in first place by tournament’s end.
It’d be a fitting finish for the man with three Stanley Cups to his credit, an Olympic gold medal to show off of his mettle, and a legacy of 21 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, Chicago Blackhawks, and Wild.
Go out golden.
A championship finale.
For a first-class friend.
“It’d be awesome,” Spurgeon said. “He’s such a great guy on and off the ice, and the career that he has had… just the person that he is, to send him off on a high note would be unbelievable.”
