"Many of Fleury's career highlights came with the team that drafted him first overall in 2003, so it was only appropriate that the Penguins would send him off with the ultimate goodbye: a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement, and one final preseason game in the city that started it all. It gave the fans an opportunity to thank him for his contributions on and off the ice, and it gave the affectionately-nicknamed Flower a unique chance to be recognized for his accomplishments."
"Fleury finishes his NHL career with the second-most wins of all time at 575 victories in 1,051 games, the majority of those with the Penguins. That's in addition to his three Stanley Cup rings with Pittsburgh, a Vezina Trophy win as the league's most elite goalie in 2021 with the Vegas Golden Knights, and the William M. Jennings Trophy in the same year."
"Usually, when players retire from the NHL, there are some limited ways that clubs will show their appreciation. Some players will sign a one-day contract so they can technically retire as a member of the club that they spent the most time with, like Wayne Simmonds with the Philadelphia Flyers. The most elite skaters will earn entire ceremonies, standing ovations, and their jersey in the rafters, which still could be on the slate for Fleury after everything he achieved."
Marc-Andre Fleury received a farewell from the Pittsburgh Penguins that included a Professional Tryout agreement and one final preseason game in Pittsburgh. The gesture allowed fans to thank him for contributions on and off the ice and provided Fleury a public recognition of his accomplishments. Traditional retirement honors include one-day contracts for technical affiliation and formal ceremonies with jersey retirements and standing ovations. Fleury finished his career with 575 wins in 1,051 games, three Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh, the 2021 Vezina Trophy, and the William M. Jennings Trophy. The Penguins' gesture may encourage other NHL teams to adopt similar farewells.
Read at Puck Prose
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]