21 years. That's how long Marc-Andre Fleury's career lasted. He spent 13 years with the Pittsburgh Penguins, four seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights, four seasons with the Minnesota Wild... And part of one season with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Most hockey fans will remember his time with the Penguins, where he held down the fort for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. After all, you don't win three Stanley Cups without a solid goaltender in net. Just look at the modern-day Edmonton Oilers as a perfect example.
However, the legendary goaltender has a special place in the hearts of many Golden Knights fans. He holds almost every franchise record for goalies and even won a Vezina Trophy in 2020-21. Fleury was also the catalyst behind the magical Stanley Cup playoff run in 2017-18. He had a GAA of 2.24 and a save percentage of .927.
That's not even considering his career achievements as a netminder. The "Misfit" had 575 regular season wins (second all-time) and 92 playoff wins (fourth all-time). 28 of those came in Vegas, where his goaltending career reached its apex.
Sure, the ending to his Golden Knights tenure was, well, rocky. After all, he and his agent didn't find out about the trade until they looked on Twitter. However, the hockey gods must've seen those numbers and thought:
"Hmm... Why not give him a proper salute and have him appear one last time in front of the T-Mobile Arena faithful?"
You couldn't have scripted a better ending for Marc-Andre Fleury and the Vegas Golden Knights
The hockey gods work in mysterious ways. They smite the cretins (i.e. Evander Kane) and bless those that deserve good fortune (i.e. teams like the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers). But they must've suggested to Filip Gustavsson to have the new Taco Bell Chicken Nuggets, a Crunchwrap Supreme, and a Baja Blast the night before. Maybe Brett Howden had some left over. Who knows?
Still, Gustavsson got sick and in came Marc-Andre Fleury one last time. It was like the early days of the Golden Knights for many, only he wore a Minnesota Wild jersey. The "Flower" of old was back as he stopped six of seven shots in 24:05 of TOI. The gods must've thought of the fans by giving them an overtime period to say goodbye to one of their favorite "Misfits."
The Golden Knights went on to win Game 5 in overtime and take Game 6 afterwards, ending the storied career of the former Vezina Trophy winner. His new team might've been eliminated in a tough series against his old club. However, he got in one last goodbye to the T-Mobile faithful on Tuesday.
Some things mean more in sports, especially with Fleury's curtain call in Vegas
Say what you want about the tumultuous ending involving Fleury and Kelly McCrimmon. Golden Knights fans understand it's a business first and you must win at all costs, after all. But fate scripted a near-perfect ending to a legendary goaltender revered by a passionate fanbase, anyway. The hockey gods must've known how much the 40-year-old meant to the expansion team.
Without Fleury being picked 29th overall in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, the Golden Knights are the middling new guys. They would've been a team that didn't make the Stanley Cup Final run in 2017-18, nor would they have had as impressive of a story. They also wouldn't have had awe-inspiring achievements such as having the first Vezina Trophy winner in team history.
That's why his brief appearance in Game 5 on Tuesday means much more. It meant closing the book to a particular chapter of his storied hockey career. It also meant closure as he said goodbye to the thousands of hockey fans who welcomed him in 2017. Damn, someone should write a script about Fleury and send that to Hollywood. That'll win an Oscar, for sure.