Now 39 years old and a 19 year veteran of the NHL, Marc-Andre Fleury has become one of the most beloved players in the sport of hockey entirely. Today with the Minnesota Wild, Fleury suited up for the 1000th game of his career against the Winnipeg Jets, and his teammates had to show him a bit of love for reaching the milestone.
As the Wild took to the ice for warmups, the team held back and gave Fleury the solo lap around the ice. It's a great gesture from the Wild - it comes off a little as a prank, but also like a recognition of Fleury's special night.
The mark of 1000 games played is an incredible achievement even for a skater, but it's much more impressive by a goaltender. He's only the fourth goaltender in NHL history to even reach the 1000 game point. Reaching this milestone is a testament to Fleury's talent and consistency for all 19 years of his NHL career.
Unfortunately, Fleury and the Wild did go one to lose a close game to the Jets by a score of 3-2. At the moment, the Wild are finding themselves well out of the playoffs, and if that continues near the trade deadline they may consider moving Fleury. Plenty of contending teams are looking for stability in the crease, and with Fleury's talent and pedigree only costing a $3.5M contract until the end of this season, he's an attractive option for many teams. In what could be the final year of his career, it'd be special to see Fleury go on a final run through the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
