Fleury spent 13 seasons with the Penguins, won 375 regular-season and 62 Stanley Cup Playoff games, went to the Stanley Cup Final four times and won the Cup three times, became a beloved member of the team and community -- and one day he was gone.
Then he spent four seasons with the Golden Knights, won 117 regular-season and 28 playoff games, went to the Stanley Cup Final once and the NHL final four three times, became a beloved member of the team and community -- and one day he was gone.
Again.
Even though he had just won the Vezina Trophy for the first time, voted as the NHL's best goalie by NHL general managers, the Golden Knights traded him to the Blackhawks for Mikael Hakkarainen, a forward prospect they released Aug. 19.
The Golden Knights needed space under the NHL salary cap and had Robin Lehner, who is younger (30 instead of 36), less expensive ($5 million average annual value instead of $7 million), locked up longer (through 2024-25 instead of 2021-22) and elite in his own right (a Vezina finalist with the New York Islanders in 2018-19).
Fleury thought about retiring for family reasons after the trade. He and his wife have three children -- 8- and 6-year-old daughters and a 2-year-old son -- and one of their daughters had anxiety. It was tough to leave Pittsburgh for Vegas, but they had made friends and liked the schools. Was he going to uproot them again?
"I've been doing what I love a long time, right?" Fleury said. "So I didn't want to be overly selfish about things. I thought I was going to maybe retire [in Las Vegas] and finish it out, maybe live there after hockey. So it was a little bit of a change of direction.
"But the [Blackhawks have] been great helping me make myself comfortable in the city. The school has been great for the kids. They love it. They're playing soccer. The wife loves it. So yeah, no complaints."
Fleury said Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman called him after the trade and said, "I know you want to think about things. I'm just going to give you some room. Think about it. Give me a call back later."
Eventually Fleury spoke to Bowman and the coaches about the team and the city, and he bought in. He said he sold his house in Vegas, though he added: "I still have a piece of land there, just in case, afterwards. We'll see."
Fleury said he and the Blackhawks have not discussed a contract extension. He did not want to speculate on what might happen at the NHL Trade Deadline if the Blackhawks are not in the playoff race and he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
"I would rather have success with this team, be good and make the playoffs and go for a run, right?" Fleury said. "That's my goal coming here, and that's what I'm focused on."
