Marc-Andre Fleury never played a game for the Canadiens, but Montreal made sure to say au revoir in its own special way.
Fleury, the Sorel-Tracy, Quebec native and retiring NHL goaltender, got a special treatment in his home province in what was likely his Montreal swan song after he led the Wild to a 4-0 victory over the Habs.
After Fleury stopped 19 shots in his 76th NHL shutout, he was given a rousing ovation from the Montreal crowd as he was mobbed by his own teammates as the final horn sounded.
On top of that, the entire Canadiens lineup waited for him at center ice, each player giving him a handshake before he skated over to the team’s coaching staff on the bench.
As Fleury led the Wild — who waited for him, stick-tapping all the while — off the ice, he waved to the adoring crowd.
He was then the first Minnesota player down the visitor’s tunnel.
Before the game started, Bell Centre cheered him loudly as he was shown on the video board above the ice during the playing of the Canadian national anthem.
A second act came during a TV timeout during the third period, the video board gave him another tribute as the crowd held up sounds and chanted his last name over and over again.
The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2003 is in the middle of his final season, his 21st in the NHL, in what has been a memorable career for the netminder.
Fleury has won three Stanley Cups, won the Vezina Trophy during the 2021 playoffs and is second on the all-time wins list for a goalie (571).
He will get a chance for one more Cup before his career is over, as the Wild sit in second in the Western Conference with 66 points.
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