Marc-Andre Fleury recorded his second shutout of the 2021-22 season in a 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. In doing so, the Chicago Blackhawks goaltender earned his 500th career win and got to accomplish the feat in his hometown of Montreal.
“It was really special,” Fleury said. “I really thought people in Montreal hated me after all these years of getting yelled at or booed. I never play my best games here. It’s always a rough night in Montreal.
“To finally get a win, the 500th win, with my friends and family in the arena and with the fans’ reception, it’s heartwarming. It’s great to be able to achieve this in Montreal.”
Fleury is just the third goaltender in NHL history to reach 500 career wins and joins Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy. Brodeur is the all-time wins leader with 691 while Roy is second with 551 victories.
“For me, Patrick and Martin are the best,” Fleury added. “That’s what’s fun about hockey, I have fun and all but the feeling of getting a win, that’s what I’m looking for. For me the 500 was important, trying to beat Patrick isn’t as important.”
This marks Fleury’s first season with the Blackhawks and he currently owns an 8-10-0 record to go along with a 2.79 goals-against-average and a .913 save percentage.
Fleury has had a long, storied career with the bulk of it coming with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 37-year old was originally selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NHL Draft by the Penguins and won three Stanley Cups with the franchise.
Fleury eventually made his way to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017 when he was selected in the expansion draft. In his first season with the team, Fleury helped lead the Golden Knights all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, where they were eventually defeated by the Washington Capitals.
Fleury is a five-time All-Star and won his first career Vezina Trophy in 2021 during his final season with Vegas. During the 2021 offseason, Fleury was traded to the Blackhawks and became the first defending Vezina Trophy winner to be traded since Dominik Hasek.
