On Friday night, with the Minnesota Wild hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was recognized for the career milestones and NHL history he has reached this season.
Fleury hit the 1,000-game mark on Dec. 31 against the Winnipeg Jets and secured his 552nd career win on Jan. 15 against the New York Islanders, moving past Patrick Roy for second place on the all-time list.
Fleury, 39, is currently in his third season with the Wild. He began his professional career with the Penguins after being drafted by the organization first overall in 2003. The veteran netminder spent 13 seasons in Pittsburgh, winning three Stanley Cups.
Prior to the game between his current and former club, Fleury was gifted with a piece of artwork by the Penguins. The piece featured multiple images of Fleury with the four teams he’s played for: the Penguins, the Wild, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Chicago Blackhawks. Given his nickname, it also featured several 'flowers.'
In a pre-game ceremony, he then received two floral bouquets that spelled out '552' and '1000', a custom mask that also featured each of his four teams, and a video tribute honouring his various career accomplishments.
Fleury's teammates were able to join the fun by wearing jerseys during warmups with his nameplate on the back. Fellow Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson even took it a step further, arriving at the game with a flower crown to honour his partner.
Here's a look at some of these moments.
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