On Thursday, the Minnesota Wild suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss in Game 6 to the Vegas Golden Knights, eliminating them in the first round for the eighth time in their last 10 postseason appearances.
Even though the loss was a killer, there was some silver lining offered during and after the handshake line.
NHL Community Reacts To Marc-Andre Fleury's Final Moments Of His CareerMarc-Andre Fleury’s NHL playing career is over.
Former Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury - backup goaltender to Filip Gustavsson for the Wild - took to the ice one final time in his NHL career following the loss. The 40-year-old goaltender has plans to retire following the 2024-25 season, and since Minnesota was eliminated, he was dressed on NHL ice for the last time on Thursday.
Even though Fleury didn't start the game - he did make an appearance in Game 5 after Gustavsson left due to illness - he was recognized by just about every single person who took the ice that evening - teammates and opponents alike.
The Golden Knights wait to give Marc-Andre Fleury a final salute before he leaves the ice for the final time. pic.twitter.com/klwN6qYYD1
— Danny Webster (@DannyWebster21) May 2, 2025
Fleury was the first overall draft pick by Pittsburgh in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He spent the first 13 seasons of his career with the Penguins, winning three Stanley Cups and earning 375 wins, which is the most by a goaltender in franchise history.
He was exposed to Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft and played four seasons there, winning the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender in 2020-21 before moving on to the Chicago Blackhawks. He was with Chicago until the 2022 trade deadline, when he was dealt to Minnesota.
The four-time All-Star netminder finishes his NHL career second all-time in wins with 575, which should all but guarantee first-ballot entry to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
A career people will talk about forever 🌸 pic.twitter.com/xVh2tK98Wg
— x - Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) May 2, 2025
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