The Minnesota Wild‘s 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday put an end to their 2024-25 NHL season. It also put an end to the career of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury who is now off to retirement following a 21-year career.
The Minnesota crowd gave him the appropriate send-off, with Fleury giving them a salute as he skated around the ice.
The next stop for Fleury is going to be the Hockey Hall of Fame. The only question is whether or not he will be a first ballot inductee or if he will have to wait a bit.
There should be no debate as to his credentials. Not only is he one of the most beloved players of his era, his resume also warrants induction.
He retires second on the NHL’s all-time wins list, was a part of three Stanley Cup winning teams, helped two other teams reach the Stanley Cup Final and won a Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie.
He spent the last four years of his career with the Wild. Prior to that, he spent time with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vegas Golden Knights and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins and Golden Knights are the two teams he played his best hockey with and made his biggest impact, helping lead both franchises to the Stanley Cup Final. With Vegas, he did so in the team’s first year of existence in the NHL, an accomplishment that may have been his best in his career.
