Marc-Andre Fleury hints at retirement after 2021-22 season

The trade from Vegas really got to him...

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Published 2 years ago
Marc-Andre Fleury hints at retirement after 2021-22 season
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It’s easy to say that Marc-Andre Fleury is probably the most beloved player across the National Hockey League. Teammates love him, rivals cannot help but laugh and cheer for him, the guy is just sweet. 

And so, when it was reported by Sportsnet on Friday that the 2021-22 season could be his last, it was a tough one to swallow. He was a guest on the 31 Thoughts: The Podcast and told Elliotte Friedman and host Jeff Marek about his decision to choose to play for the Blackhawks after the stunning trade from Vegas to Chicago earlier this summer. 

“I needed time,” Fleury said. “I’ve been lucky to do what I love for so long and my family was very comfortable in Vegas with the schools, the kids, their friends, our house. You start to think about retiring there and stuff.
“I didn’t want to be overly selfish about it and think about me playing another hockey season and moving everybody around. But I still love the game, I still love to play.”

Fleury has indeed just a season left on his contract and he will turn 37 in November. He is starting to think about hanging up the pads and it feels like 2021-22 could be his last. 

“The day will come. I’m not sure when. I’m not sure how, why,” Fleury said. “I’m getting older right? The body feels it some days. A lot of days… but when I get out there I still feel like a young guy.

“I know it will come. I’m not sure when, but I’m sure soon. So I just try to enjoy what I have right now and go one year at a time.”

Flower could sign one-year deals here and there to keep going, but this trade sure got him thinking about moving his family, what it means for his kids and how he prefers to keep them happy. 

When asked if this season was his last, this is what Fleury had to say: 

“Could be,” he said with a laugh.
“I still want to be good. I want to battle, I want to feel good, I want to win. I want to help a team.”
Let’s see how he does this season with the Hawks and what it means for his future. 
Source: Sportsnet