Marc-André Fleury felt the love from fans as he played in his home province for the final time.
The 40-year-old netminder started Thursday night as the Minnesota Wild faced the Montreal Canadiens. During the Canadian national anthem, the crowd showed their appreciation with claps and cheers as he appeared on the Jumbotron.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion and former Vezina Trophy winner also received a standing ovation as he took the ice to warm up, leading his teammates before taking a quick solo lap to soak it all in.
Fleury, from Sorel-Tracy, Que., is in the midst of his final NHL season, which he announced in April. Entering Thursday’s game, he had a 2.76 goals-against average, a .904 save percentage and a 10-5-1 record through 17 appearances.
“Yeah, it is (at home). I don’t know, it’s always been special for me,” Fleury said when asked how it feels to play in Montreal on Morning Skate on Thursday. “I’ve always been a big Montreal fan growing up — I still try to stay in touch to see how the team is doing here and there. But obviously, just getting the chance to play in front of my family and friends — a lot of people have helped me throughout my years to get to where I am today.
Fleury also reflected on his final game in Montreal before the Wild’s win over the Maple Leafs on Wednesday night, saying, “I’ll try to take it in. Take a little pause, maybe. Just look around and try to take a mental picture to remember my last one there.”
Fleury’s Wild (30-17-4) currently sits third in the Central Division after failing to qualify for the playoffs last season.