Fleury in the Vegas spotlight
leave.”
If the reception Fleury received was any indication, however, the NHL’s newest team and its fan base might actually be happier to see Fleury arrive.
The Golden Knights chose Fleury because, at 32, he still has plenty of good hockey left, but that was only part of this decision. A much bigger component was how the Golden Knights will lean on Fleury for community outreach and camaraderie inside the dressing room.
“That’s fine with me,” Fleury said. “I always like to get out there. Especially here, maybe hockey’s not the most known sport. Hopefully we can help grow the game here in Vegas.”
Fleury said his wife, Veronique, traveled with him here on Wednesday morning, and the couple planned to go house-hunting in the next few days.
There will also be plenty of handshakes and hellos with coaches, teammates and fans. The affable goaltender, as he has throughout his entire career, will shy away from none of it.
“I thought in Pittsburgh they did a great job with that,” Fleury said of taking hockey to the masses. “Over the years it kept getting bigger and bigger. More kids started to play. The team was good at getting involved with kids and learn-to-play programs.
“I’m sure that’s something we can do here, too. I hope I can get out there and try to promote our team and hockey itself.”
Going to Vegas brings something else that Fleury hasn’t had a lot of since Matt Murray burst onto the scene: control.
Even if he played well in Pittsburgh — as during the Eastern Conference final — Murray was coach Mike Sullivan’s guy, and that wasn’t going to change.
But if Fleury was bothered by anything, he never let on. Always positive. Always upbeat. Always funny. Always the most well-liked guy in the room.
“He’s going to be so important for their team,” Crosby said. “With his experience and the kind of person he is, I’m sure it hasn’t been an easy couple of years being in that situation. I think sometimes you forget how difficult it is just because he handles it so well.
“I know he’s excited for the opportunity, and I think the experience he has is going to go a long way with helping the team here. You really couldn’t get a better guy to it.”
Bet on Fleury getting the start when Vegas opens its season Oct. 10 at home against the Arizona Coyotes.
Also bet that whenever the Golden Knights play in Pittsburgh — the full schedule will be released Thursday at 3 p.m. EST — it will be emotional.
For Fleury. For Crosby. For fans and media, too.
“I’m kind of happy it’s this way,” Fleury said, discussing the idea of joining an expansion team. “Being with a team for so long, coming over with a fresh start, for myself and everybody on the team, I won’t have the big job. My job is just to stop the puck. Other people have to worry about everything else that goes on with an NHL hockey team.”
Fleury is wrong. His job isn’t small. It’s actually fairly large, but it’s also one he’s so comfortable doing that it doesn’t much matter.
“I’ll give it everything I have to win some games,” Fleury said. “I’ll try to get into the community, meet people and spread the word about our team.”
The standing ovation Fleury received when he took the stage came as a surprise, he said.
But don’t be surprised if you start to hear a lot of good things about Fleury, about the group of players playing in front of him and how appreciative the Golden Knights are for his services.
He’ll be the star of the team’s social media account, a community donor at some point and a leader inside the dressing room, the guy who has been there before.
Just as soon, of course, as Fleury can process it all himself.
“It still feels a little bit surreal,” Fleury said, looking down at his Golden Knights sweater. “The next few days I’m sure I’ll understand it a little bit better.
“I’ve been lucky to play with a lot of good players and win some games. I want to keep winning. Not to [accumulate more wins], but I just want to win so our team is successful, we get in the playoffs, we do well and have success.”
And who knows? Maybe another meeting with Crosby could be on the horizon.
Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.