BROSSARD | Marc-André Fleury had not yet put away his golden leggings with a touch of red, white and green, the colors of the Minnesota Wild, when he met the media on the eve of a game against the Canadiens.
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Fleury joked that he would rather, because of his age, sit in the locker room than stand in front of the Wild backdrop, decorated with team sponsor logos. However, he hid a bottle of water in his goalie pants. At an older age, you have to know how to hydrate yourself, especially if you can’t sit down.
At 37, Fleury is still rolling around in the NHL. Traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Wild in March 2022, the goalkeeper from Sorel extended his adventure in Minnesota by signing a two-year contract and 7 million (3.5 million on average) on July 7.
If he does not have the start envisaged with an average snoring of 5.25 and an efficiency rate of .847 after four starts, he consoled himself with the simple idea of still practicing his sport.
“I didn’t dare look at my average,” he replied with a smile.
But when asked about longevity on this day when Carey Price was meeting the media, Fleury goes for a longer answer.
“Yes, I am lucky. There aren’t many goaltenders my age in the NHL anymore. It’s weird to say that! I have gray hair that grows just thinking about it. I realize even more that I am lucky to still play at my age. I know it’s over. I want to take advantage of it. I try to have fun every day.”
Of all the NHL goaltenders, only one is older than number 29. It’s Craig Anderson, 41, with the Buffalo Sabres.
Not his choice
Fleury hadn’t had time to meet Price before Wild practice. The two men are not great friends, but there is a mutual respect between the two.
“Yes, it’s a pinch in the heart (on a possible retirement of Price), replied the Wild goalkeeper. It is not he who decides, he does not make this choice with his head. For me Carey is an excellent goalkeeper.
“It’s flat and sad to see that this is what stops him for the moment. We never know. It’s not his decision. It’s not because he’s bad, it’s really his body that stops him.”
Photo by Jean-Francois Chaumont
Marc-André Fleury, Minnesota Wild goaltender
“We never had the chance to rub shoulders with each other a lot, he continued. There may be an all-star game where we were on the same bus. But it was more of a conversation, hello and how are you. We didn’t talk a lot. I’ve always loved watching him play. He played in Montreal for a very long time with all the pressure that comes with being a goalkeeper for the Canadiens. He always handled it well. In the warm-up last year, I told him that I was happy to see him again.
Know how to bounce back
In his last start against the Bruins on Saturday in Boston, Fleury blocked 39 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Bruins. Despite the loss, it was a step in the right direction compared to his first two outings where he gave up seven goals against the Rangers and four in 20 minutes against the Kings.
“There is a risk of talking to me about my age again at each of my difficult moments. I have to deal with this reality. But with my age, I also have the experience to know how to bounce back. From the outside, I know you can tell it’s old and slowing down. Maybe also… I didn’t feel at my peak at the start of the season. I didn’t play badly or feel less fast. But it kept coming back. Sometimes it was mistakes, but there was also bad luck.
“When I go through difficult things, I always want to use it as motivation. I have pride too. I have to get over it and win my next game. I want to show that I can still make the saves.”