The last lap for the latest Vézina Trophy winner?
The Montreal Canadiens were not the only ones to surprise us by reaching the Stanley Cup finals in the 2021 National Hockey League playoffs. Marc-Andre Fleury, a goaltender from Sorel, was also able to win the Vézina Trophy at the age of 36. Fleury was able to establish himself as the number one goalie in Vegas during the regular season when everyone thought it would be Robin Lehner who would have the absolute confidence of head coach Peter DeBoer.
You know the rest. After winning the Vezina Trophy, the Golden Knights traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks for a very unpromising prospect, Mikael Hakkarainen. Obviously, the Knights wanted to create room under the salary cap with this transaction by freeing themselves from Fleury's seven million dollar contract, which expires at the end of the 2021-2022 season.
At the end of next season, Fleury will be 37 years old. Will he play his last season in the NHL this year? When asked about it, the main interested party admitted that it is indeed a possibility.
In 884 NHL games, "Flower" maintained a 2.55 goals against average and a .913 save percentage with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights. The Quebecer recorded 492 wins and won the Stanley Cup three times with the Penguins. He also came close to winning a fourth with Vegas in their inaugural season, but the Knights lost in the final to Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. And let's not forget the gold medal win at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
One thing is certain, no matter how the upcoming season unfolds in Chicago, Fleury has had quite a career in hockey. Do you think he will retire after this season?
