- Fleury thanked fans for their support during his final game in Pittsburgh. He said, “Those were some of the best years of my life, I really appreciate it. It’s so hard to say bye, but thank you so much”.
- He also said, “I’m so appreciative from the bottom of my heart”.
- He skated a final lap around the rink to thank fans.
- He stopped by the Penguins bench to say goodbye to his old teammates, Crosby and Letang.
- Fleury said, “The support I’ve gotten, obviously from my family and my friends through the good, through the bad”.
- He said, “I’m lucky and blessed to still be playing hockey at my age”.
- He said, “I want to have fun right to the very end”.
- He said, “I would also like to win as many games as possible”.
You can also watch this video to learn more about Marc-André Fleury’s final game in Montreal:
In an attention-getting and bold stance, Marc-Andre Fleury sported his Native American Heritage mask during warmups. His doing so defied NHL warnings and is getting a ton of support from fans,. The mask, designed to honor Native American Heritage Night and pay tribute to his native wife, was created by artist Cole Redhorse Taylor. He was set to wear the mask but was warned by the NHL that should he, he would face a fine.
The custom mask, featuring quotes from Fleury’s father on the back and the names of his children, holds personal significance. As part of the annual Minnesota Wild Prairie Island Indian Community Native American Heritage auction, the autographed mask will be up for bid, along with specially designed and autographed jerseys.
The auction, closing on November 30 at 9 pm, aims to benefit the Minnesota Wild Foundation and the American Indian Family Center. Considering the meaning and importance behind the mask, Fleury pushed ahead and wore it. Despite the NHL’s directive, Fleury had the mask on in warmups.
