Marc-Andre Fleury by no means performed a recreation for the Canadiens, however Montreal made positive to say au revoir in its personal particular approach.
Fleury, the Sorel-Tracy, Quebec native and retiring NHL goaltender, obtained a particular remedy in his dwelling province in what was possible his Montreal swan tune after he led the Wild to a 4-0 victory over the Habs.
After Fleury stopped 19 photographs in his 76th NHL shutout, he was given a rousing ovation from the Montreal crowd as he was mobbed by his personal teammates as the ultimate horn sounded.
On high of that, your complete Canadiens lineup waited for him at middle ice, every participant giving him a handshake earlier than he skated over to the group’s teaching workers on the bench.
As Fleury led the Wild — who waited for him, stick-tapping all of the whereas — off the ice, he waved to the adoring crowd.
He was then the primary Minnesota participant down the customer’s tunnel.
Earlier than the sport began, Bell Centre cheered him loudly as he was proven on the video board above the ice throughout the taking part in of the Canadian nationwide anthem.
A second act got here throughout a TV timeout throughout the third interval, the video board gave him one other tribute as the group held up sounds and chanted his final identify time and again.
The No. 1 total draft choose in 2003 is in the course of his closing season, his twenty first within the NHL, in what has been a memorable profession for the netminder.
Fleury has received three Stanley Cups, received the Vezina Trophy throughout the 2021 playoffs and is second on the all-time wins record for a goalie (571).
He’ll get an opportunity for yet another Cup earlier than his profession is over, because the Wild sit in second within the Western Convention with 66 factors.