When the Pittsburgh Penguins signed goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to a paid tryout (PTO) contract on Friday, along with that came the announcement that he'd be appearing in one final pre-season game in Pittsburgh on Sept. 27 against the Columbus Blue Jackets before officially retiring from the NHL.
And given how much Pittsburgh is anticipating Fleury's return, the price of admission should come as a surprise to no one.
As of Wednesday, the cheapest ticket available to Fleury's final game on Ticketmaster is more than $175, with the lowest price on Stubhub going for more than $170. Other retailers like Gametime and SeatGeek are selling at similar clips.
For comparison's sake? The Penguins' first pre-season home game against the Detroit Red Wings on the night before - a Friday night - are selling for as low as $18.
Fleury, 40, was selected by the Penguins first overall in 2003 and remained with the club through the end of the 2016-17 season, helping the team win three Stanley Cup Championships in that time. He was the first player drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, and he stayed there for four seasons before moving on to the Chicago Blackhawks for a half season and the Minnesota Wild for the last four of his NHL career.
If anything, these ticket prices show just how much Pittsburgh loves its legendary netminder and how him coming back to Pittsburgh is a full-circle moment, something that Fleury expressed Tuesday.
“I wanted to go back where it all began," Fleury told NHL.com. "I see it as a wink to my past. I’ll wear the Penguins jersey one last time, and I’ll see some old teammates and friends again. It’s a way to come full circle."
For Fleury And The Penguins, A Storybook Ending Is In StoreWhen a young netminder from Sorel, Quebec made his NHL debut on Oct. 10, 2003, it's difficult to imagine that folks in Pittsburgh, Pa. knew what was in store for the next decade and a half.
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