Marc-André Fleury (born November 28, 1984) is a Canadian former professional hockey goaltender. Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL entry draft, Fleury played major junior for four seasons with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. He joined the Penguins in 2003–04. During his 13 seasons with the team, Fleury won Stanley Cup championships in 2009, 2016, and 2017; once as a starter and twice as a backup. He is considered to be one of the greatest goaltenders of all time.
After being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL expansion draft, Fleury reached the Final again in 2018, and received the William M. Jennings Trophy and the Vezina Trophy in 2021. Fleury also played with the Chicago Blackhawks, as well as the Minnesota Wild, with whom he reached several milestones and ultimately retired with in 2025. He is the third goaltender to ever reach the 500 victories mark in the NHL, after Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur, and the fourth goaltender to reach 1,000 games played, after Roy, Brodeur, and Roberto Luongo.
Internationally, Fleury has represented Canada's junior team twice, winning back-to-back silver medals at the World Junior Championships in 2003 and 2004. He won a gold medal with the Canada senior team at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Fleury is known by the nickname "Flower", derived from the English translation of his last name (fleuri means "in bloom", or "in flower", in French).
Playing career
As a youth, Fleury played in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the College-Français Rive-Sud minor ice hockey team from South Shore, Montreal.
Fleury played junior ice hockey in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles beginning in 2000–01. After a strong 2002–03 campaign that included a silver medal with Canada's junior team at the World Junior Championships, QMJHL Second Team All-Star honours, the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league's top prospect and the Telus Cup as the top defensive player, he was chosen first overall in the 2003 NHL entry draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins acquired the first overall pick from the Florida Panthers in a trade that sent the first and 73rd overall picks to the Penguins in exchange for Mikael Samuelsson and the third and 55th picks. He is only the third goalie to be chosen first overall in the NHL entry draft, after Michel Plasse and Rick DiPietro. Playing four seasons total with Cape Breton, Fleury's jersey number (29) was later retired by the club in his fourth NHL season on January 25, 2008.
Pittsburgh Penguins (2003–2017) Fleury immediately made his NHL debut during the 2003–04 season as the youngest goaltender in the league at 18 years old (three years younger than the second-youngest, Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders). He appeared in his first NHL game on October 10, 2003, against the Los Angeles Kings, recording an impressive 46-save performance, which included a penalty shot save, in a 3–0 loss. Fleury recorded his first NHL win in his very next start, on October 18, with 31 saves in a 4–3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. His first NHL shutout came on October 30, in a 1–0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Fleury shared time with goaltenders Jean-Sébastien Aubin and Sébastien Caron and lived up to first-overall-pick expectations early, earning Rookie of the Month honours in October, with a 2–2–2 record, 1.96 goals against average (GAA) and .943 save percentage. As the season progressed, however, his performance began to sink, mainly due to Pittsburgh's poor defence. He was loaned to Canada's junior team for the 2004 World Junior Championships and, upon returning with a second consecutive silver medal, he was sent back to the QMJHL on January 29, 2004. In light of financial difficulties for the franchise, it is believed Fleury's $3 million contract bonus, which he would have potentially received if he stayed and met several performance goals, was a factor in the decision to return him to Cape Breton. To no avail, Fleury offered to forfeit his bonus to remain with the club. Fleury finished the QMJHL season with Cape Breton in a first round elimination and was subsequently assigned to Pittsburgh's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and appeared in two postseason games.
As NHL play was postponed due to the labour dispute, Fleury continued to play with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in the 2004–05 AHL season, where he posted a 26–19–4 record, a 2.52 goals against average and a .901 save percentage. When NHL play resumed in 2005–06, Fleury started the season once more in the minors, but was quickly called up by Pittsburgh for a game against the Buffalo Sabres on October 10, to replace an injured Jocelyn Thibault. He continued to play between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh until November 28, after which he remained with Pittsburgh. With the Penguins finishing last in the Eastern Conference and allowing a league-worst 316 goals, Fleury recorded a 3.25 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. Competing for time with Sébastien Caron and Jocelyn Thibault, Fleury emerged as the Penguins' starting goalie.
Despite playing behind a shaky defence, Fleury was able to impress the team management with his technique and performance and signed a two-year contract extension worth $2.59 million in the off-season. In the proceeding campaign, Fleury's stats had improved significantly. Playing behind a better Penguins team, which featured rising superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, he recorded five shutouts and a 2.83 goals against average. He earned his 40th win in a 2–1 victory over the New York Rangers in the season finale, joining Tom Barrasso as the only Penguins goaltenders to record 40 wins in a season. He also broke Johan Hedberg's single season franchise record for most games and minutes played. Fleury made his NHL playoff debut against the Ottawa Senators, the eventual Stanley Cup finalists, in the first round and recorded his first playoff win in game two, recording 34 saves in a 4–3 win at Scotiabank Place. The team was ultimately eliminated by the Senators in five games.
Early on in the 2007–08 season, Fleury posted a 9–8–1 record, a 2.90 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage, where won four straight games before suffering a high-ankle sprain against the Calgary Flames on December 6. He returned as a starter on March 2, after a brief conditioning stint in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. While sidelined, he decided to change the colour of his goaltending equipment from the bright yellow that had become his signature to plain white, to gain an optical advantage over shooters. He was also influenced and challenged by the very strong play of Ty Conklin, who took the team's starting job after being promoted from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Fleury's absence. Upon his return from injury, Fleury helped the Penguins win the Atlantic Division, going 10–2–1 with a 1.45 goals against average en route to a 12–2 playoff run to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings. In game five of the Final at Detroit, he stopped 55 of 58 shots in a triple overtime win for the Penguins to stave off elimination. The Penguins lost the series in six games. Fleury's attempt to cover an unseen loose puck by sitting on it in game six resulted in him propelling the puck into the net; the own goal turned out to be the Stanley Cup-winner, credited to Henrik Zetterberg. At the start of the following season, he said: Fleury completed the playoffs with three shutouts – a new team record for one playoff season – and a 14–6 record. He also recorded a .933 save percentage through 20 games in the playoffs. In the off-season, Fleury signed a seven-year, US$35 million contract with the Penguins, on July 3. It included a no-movement clause, and a limited no-trade clause that triggered in the 2010–11 season.
Fleury compiled a 35–18–7 record in the 2008–09 season to help the Penguins to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference, entering the 2009 playoffs as the defending Prince of Wales champions. Fleury was a major factor in the first round against the Penguins' intrastate rivals the Philadelphia Flyers. In game two at home, with a 2–1 deficit late in the third, Fleury made a key toe save against Flyers top goal scorer Jeff Carter, which was eventually pivotal as the Penguins tied the game late in the 3rd and won late in overtime. After the Flyers won game three comfortably, Fleury once again stole a game for the Penguins in game four, stopping 43 shots to keep a surging Flyers line-up at bay and ensure a 3–1 lead. The Flyers won in Pittsburgh in game five, but Fleury saved another performance for the final period of game six. After initially letting in 3 goals, Fleury did not allow another as the Penguins rallied from a 3–0 deficit to win 5–3. The Penguins went the full distance in the second round against the Washington Capitals. In the deciding game seven, Fleury made a key breakaway glove save early in the contest against Capitals superstar Alexander Ovechkin, helping the Penguins eliminate Washington by a 6–2 score. Fleury and the Penguins then swept the Carolina Hurricanes in the conference finals to return to the Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings for the second consecutive year. After being pulled in game five after allowing five goals, Fleury made another momentous breakaway save in game six, this time with 1:39 minutes left in regulation against Dan Cleary to preserve a 2–1 lead and help the Penguins force a game seven. Playing the series-deciding game in Detroit, Fleury played an integral role in the Penguins 2–1 victory to capture the franchise's third Stanley Cup, making two critical saves in the final seconds. After stopping an initial Henrik Zetterberg shot from the right faceoff circle, the rebound came loose to Nicklas Lidström at the left faceoff circle, forcing Fleury to make a diving stop with 1.5 seconds remaining to preserve the win and the Stanley Cup.
Fleury recorded a 37–21–6 record during the 2009–10 season, with Pittsburgh again finishing fourth in the Eastern Conference. After eliminating Ottawa in six games, the Penguins were upset by the eighth-seeded Montreal Canadiens in round two, ending their chance of a Stanley Cup repeat, with game seven marking the last game at the Mellon Arena. Fleury recorded a 2.78 goals against average during the Playoffs.
With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin sidelined with injuries for much of the 2010–11 season, Fleury and the Penguins' defence were relied on to carry the team to the playoffs. Fleury finished with a 36–20–5 record, and the Penguins finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins squared off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs, where they were defeated in seven games despite taking a 3–1 series lead early. Fleury posted a .899 save percentage in the series.
Backup goalies Brent Johnson and Brad Thiessen struggled through much of the 2011–12 season, leaving Fleury as the only viable goaltending option. Fleury played 67 games in the season, starting 23 consecutive games at one point leading up to the All-Star break, and finished the season with 42 wins, second only to the Nashville Predators' Pekka Rinne. Despite the impressive regular season campaign, Fleury had a less-than-impressive playoff run, being eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round and posting a .834 save percentage and 4.63 goals against average, as the Flyers advanced in six games.