Twenty years after he first pulled on Pittsburgh colors, Marc-Andre Fleury is set to wear them one more time. The 40-year-old goaltender has signed a professional tryout agreement with the Penguins and will dress for the Sept. 27 preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena. He’ll also take part in the team practice on Sept. 26, turning a routine exhibition into a citywide goodbye.
The team is framing it as a full-circle moment. Fleury retired this spring after a 22-year NHL career that stretched across four franchises and three Stanley Cup rings, but his most lasting imprint sits in Pittsburgh. Hockey operations chief Kyle Dubas praised Fleury’s impact on the franchise and the city, calling this chance to skate in black and gold again a well-earned nod to the person behind the mask as much as the player.
Why this farewell hits different in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh drafted Fleury first overall in 2003, betting big on a teenager from Sorel, Quebec. He grew into the calm in the chaos for a club that rebuilt around Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. By the time he left in 2017, he held the major goaltending records in Penguins history—appearances, wins, and shutouts—and he’d shared in championships in 2009, 2016, and 2017.
The snapshots that stick are everywhere. There’s the final-second stop on Nicklas Lidstrom in Game 7 of the 2009 Final in Detroit, the kind of save kids try to recreate in the driveway. There’s 2017, when he steadied the net through the early playoff rounds while Matt Murray recovered, then handed over the crease gracefully as the Penguins finished the repeat. Fleury’s legacy in Pittsburgh isn’t just trophies—it’s the way he made hard moments look easy and fun.
He left not by choice but because of the expansion draft. The Vegas Golden Knights chose him in 2017, and he helped launch an instant contender, backstopping an improbable run to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final and winning the Vezina Trophy in 2021 as the league’s top goalie. Short stays in Chicago and Minnesota followed, and he kept stacking victories until he climbed to second place on the NHL’s all-time wins list—more than 550 and counting when he stepped away.
Yet the Penguins were always the anchor point. He arrived before the rise, endured the rebuild, and became the steady face behind it. Teammates loved the pranks and the grin. Fans loved the heart and the big saves. Coaches loved that he managed pressure without letting it harden him. That’s the through line connecting every stop of his career back to this one last skate in Pittsburgh.
A one-game PTO, and what it really means
The “professional tryout” label can sound formal, but in this case it’s simple paperwork. A PTO lets a veteran practice and dress in the preseason without taking a contract or a roster spot. It keeps the salary cap out of it and keeps everyone honest: this is not a comeback bid, it’s a ceremonial cameo to say goodbye in full gear, under the lights, in front of the home crowd.
Will he start? Will he play a period? The Penguins haven’t said, and that’s fine. The point is the moment. Expect an ovation that swallows the first whistle. Expect a tribute inside the arena and a lot of No. 29 sweaters pulled out from the back of closets. Expect the current Penguins to enjoy this as much as the fans. You don’t get many chances in pro sports to mark an ending on your terms.
The timing also fits where the franchise is culturally. In recent years, Pittsburgh has leaned into celebrating its greats—adding to its small list of retired numbers and drawing clear lines from past to present. Fleury’s number isn’t going to the rafters Friday night, but the conversation around his future honors won’t quiet down after this. Three Cups, franchise records, and a place in the city’s sports story tend to do that.
On the ice, the resume needs little polishing. With Pittsburgh, Fleury won 375 games and posted 44 shutouts, numbers that still lead the team’s record book. League-wise, he sits second all-time in victories and ranks among the best in playoff wins and postseason games played by a goaltender. He delivered across eras—dead puck grind, speed-and-skill surge, everything in between—without losing the playful edge that made him so watchable.
The off-ice footprint matters too. Through team events and local causes, Fleury built the kind of bond that lasts longer than a hot streak. That ties into why this night resonates. It’s less about one save or one series and more about two decades of being the same steady presence, win or lose, city to city.
For younger fans who mostly know him from Vegas or Minnesota, the Pittsburgh chapter explains a lot of the affection. This is the building where he grew up as a pro. These are the banners he helped raise. These are the people who learned to trust a high-wire style because he made the tough read at the last instant and landed on his skates.
For the Penguins, it’s a chance to send off a franchise icon the right way—no Zoom calls, no quick video reel, but a real uniform, real teammates, and the hum of game night. For Fleury, it’s closure with a twist: one final lap, one last bow, in the sweater that started it all.
There’s a practical layer, too. The preseason date keeps the regular season clean and the cap sheet untouched. It gives the team and player the rhythm of a normal game day—morning skate, nap, lights up—without the grind or stakes. It’s ceremonial, yes, but it’s also the most authentic version of a farewell a hockey team can stage.
If you’re wondering how we got here: a first-overall pick in 2003; a growing core that flipped the franchise’s trajectory; a Cup in 2009 that ended a long wait; back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017; an expansion detour that became a phenomenon in Vegas; a late-career award that put a bow on his prime; and a final season that nudged him up the all-time lists. That arc adds up to a rare kind of player return—one that feels earned, not scripted.
Tickets remain on sale for the Sept. 27 game, and the team plans to lean into the celebration. The real keepsake, though, won’t be on a shelf. It will be the picture in people’s heads: Fleury in black and gold again, tapping the posts, flashing the smile, and taking one more look around the arena he helped define.
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