MONTREAL | Marc-André Fleury had circled this date since the start of the season. On January 8, he returned to Vegas for the first time to face the Golden Knights in the uniform of his new team, the Chicago Blackhawks.
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Fleury did things in the image of her former adopted city. He didn’t just put the skates back on the ice at T-Mobile Arena, he livened up the show blocking 30 shots in a 2-1 win. He was the big star of the night, from opening one to the next. the last second.
“I was happy, I wanted to win,” said Fleury in a telephone interview with the Journal the day after this match. The Golden Knights have one of the best teams in the NHL. On paper, we don’t have such a powerful background. But we played really well, we worked hard and we were fighting to keep the puck out of our turf. I was really happy to come out with a victory. For me, it was one of my good starts this season. “
Fleury was expecting an emotional evening for her return to Vegas. And it was. Before we drop the puck in the center of the ice, the Golden Knights presented a video tribute to the first strong face in the history of this young franchise.
“Yes, I was moved by watching the video, confided the number 29. But before the little tribute, I found it already special. During the warm-up period, there were several spectators with my jersey and signs. There were kind words and I heard my name. There were several memories going through my head. “
Proud enough, the 37-year-old goalie probably tried to hide his feelings during the special presentation.
“Maybe there was a small tear in the corner of my eye that was flowing,” he replied. I really enjoyed my days in Vegas and was happy to come back. My heart was heavy during the video. “
“They played the video before the game. It’s not ideal for the first few minutes, but I was also happy to know it was done. I didn’t have to think about it anymore. “
For pride
During the warm-up, Fleury stretched in the center of the ice for long seconds with his former teammate, Robin Lehner. The two guards took the time to exchange a few words. You could feel the friendship and respect between the two men.
During the game, Fleury spoke with several former teammates, but even more with Jonathan Marchessault. Before the departure of the Chicago Hawks, the Sorelois had said that Marchessault was a small forward with a big trap.
Marchessault fired four shots in the direction of his good friend, but he failed to outsmart him.
“There was no bet between us, it was just pride,” said Fleury. Whenever he could, he spoke to me. And I was doing the same. He didn’t score and I won! Then it’s perfect. It was Ben Hutton who defeated me. I was practically happy that it was him since I didn’t really know him. “
Hutton, who scored his first goal of the season with a point shot in the first period, is in his first season in Vegas.
A bigger number
Fleury and the Hawks were enjoying a Sunday off in Vegas. They will be back on the road Monday to travel to Columbus. The Hawks play against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
For his time in Vegas, the Quebecer did not lose money in casinos, but he respected an old hockey tradition by offering an amount of money to his teammates for a victory against his former team.
“Yes, I wrote an amount on the board before the game. Maybe I wrote a bigger number than normal. But I will keep this information private! “