The Flower is back for one final goodbye.
Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury signed a professional tryout with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday and is confirmed to be suiting up in a preseason exhibition game later this month, according to a release by the team.
“The entire Penguins organization is honored to welcome Marc-Andre Fleury back to the ice in Pittsburgh,” general manager Kyle Dubas said in the release. “This past year everyone witnessed how beloved and respected Marc is in the game of hockey, but the adoration goes beyond his accolades and career. Marc means so much to our team, our fans and the City of Pittsburgh because of the person he is and the example he set. The Penguins feel he and his family are most-deserving of this opportunity to celebrate this full-circle moment back where it all started in front of the black and gold faithful.”
The 40-year-old goaltender will practice with the team on Friday, September 26 at 12:00 PM. The next night, he’ll suit up and play in parts of the Penguins’ preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on September 27 at PPG Paints Arena.
Fleury, a first-round selection by the Penguins in the 2003 NHL Draft, will don the black and gold on Sept. 27 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It’ll be his first time playing for the team he spent 13 seasons and lifted three Stanley Cups with since 2017.
The 40-year-old netminder retired at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season but this agreement appears to be a way for him to officially hang up his skates with his longtime club.
The news comes as a respite to recent dreary headlines. The Penguins, who appear unlikely to challenge for a playoff spot this season, are rebuilding and a trade of Sidney Crosby could be possible at some point. Evgeni Malkin is also reportedly set to play his final season in Pittsburgh.
Fleury holds nearly every major goaltending record in Penguins history such as games played (691), wins (375) and shutouts (44). His 2.58 goals-against average is also the best in franchise history, while his .912 save-percentage sits second among the club’s all-time goaltenders with a minimum of 100 games played. Fleury played 115 playoff games, tallying 62 wins and 10 shutouts which ranks first in club history. His 2.65 goals-against average and .908 save percentage rank third and fourth, respectively.
Since departing the Steel City eight years ago, Fleury played for three other NHL clubs (Vegas, Chicago and Minnesota). He totaled 1,051 regular-season games played with a 575-339-97 record and 76 shutouts. He recorded 15 20-win seasons, nine 30-win seasons and two 40-win seasons. Only Hockey Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur owns more regular-season games played (1,266) and wins (691) than Fleury in NHL history.
