It took some time for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to decide to join the Chicago Blackhawks after being traded to the organization from the Vegas Golden Knights. With only one year left on his current contract, undoubtedly it will take some time for Fleury to decide if he wants to stay.
According to comments from the most recent Vezina Trophy winner, the fact that he’s contemplating retirement makes the matter of continuing on with the Blackhawks even more unclear than it might have been before he decided to suit up. Fleury recently said, while a guest on the 31 Thoughts: The Podcast that he’s thinking about hanging up his skates after this season.
He told Elliotte Friedman and host Jeff Marek that he was already thinking about retiring in Vegas because of how much his family liked it there, was part of the community, and didn’t want to leave. He said, “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.”
As for whether or not he calls it quits after this season, he seemed to hint that he’s going to have to give that decision some real thought. He noted:
“The day will come. 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.”
Could Fleury Go Somewhere Else?
There’s always a chance Fleury and his family learn to love it in Chicago. If so, maybe he’ll sign one-year deals to close out his career and until he’s ready to call it quits for good. The alternative is choosing the destination he wants to close down his NHL career with and signing there as a free agent.
But, if he retires, he’ll be remembered as one of this generation’s greats. Right now, all we know is that he’s thinking about it. When asked if he might leave the game after this coming season and if this year in Chicago could be his last, he responded, “Could be.”
“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.” As long as he can do that and as long as he’s not putting his family through a tough time, he’ll continue on.
More must-reads: