Fleury says goodbye with smile, goodwill
kind words. Sometimes, it’s a little emotional, but it’s very flattering.”
Emotional on both sides of the equation. Penguins fans have known Fleury for the past 14 years, since they made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NHL draft. They’ve seen him go from promising rookie for a franchise in distress to the longserving player on the NHL’s model team — with three Stanley Cup titles along the way.
And Fleury has made himself a home in Pittsburgh. He noted Tuesday that he’ll miss being able to, along with his wife Veronique, take their two daughters, Estelle and Scarlett, and their dogs to North Park.
“I’ve had a great time in Pittsburgh,” Fleury said. “My kids were born here, a lot of memories from a lot of teammates, good people I’ve met. I’m glad to have success, winning some Stanley Cups. That’s very important for me, the success of the team.”
Fleury also placed value on making a true connection with the fan base and community, and that’s why his goodbye this week was fitting.
He said the playground opening was planned for months, and the Penguins’ extra-long playoff run delayed the grand opening a few weeks. The autograph signing came after Dick’s reached out to his agent following several requests.
“It was just a chance for me to come, meet some people and spend some time with them,” Fleury said.
“I think sometimes people think athletes are maybe unreachable. For me, it was important to not be like that.”
That message was received loud and clear by the 250 who lined up early Tuesday morning to receive a wristband for an autograph, and the dozens more who filled Dick’s just to say goodbye.
James Lautenbacher, 39, of Cranberry Township, arrived at 6 a.m. to get his wristband, which Dick’s starting handing out at 9 a.m.
“It’s huge for him to come out here and do something like this, when he kind of knows he’s on his way out, going to another team,” Lautenbacher said. “It just shows the kind of character he has. This is my first time doing a jersey autograph. I wanted it tobe him.”
Hannah Fallecker, 19, of Mars, got to Dick’s at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday for her wristband to get her jersey signed.
“It was fitting that I came since this could potentially be his last year here,” Fallecker said. “The expansion draft is tomorrow, I just couldn’t miss my shot.”
The signed black-and-gold Penguins jersey won’t be Fallecker’s only souvenir, either. She had a GoPro camera strapped to her chest to record her handshake and interaction with Fleury. But neither the jersey nor the video will be her favorite memory from the night.
“Definitely the handshake,” she said. “It was a very firm grip. I probably won’t wash my hand for a little while. That just is unbelievable.” Starting as earlier as Wednesday night, Fleury will be shaking hands and signing jerseys for another city’s fans. He admitted Tuesday that, with so much going on for him over the past week, he hasn’t had time to think about having a logo other than the Penguins’ on his chest for the firsttime in his career.
“That could be coming up soon,” he said. “I think it still won’t feel real until next season, next training camp, when I don’t come back here and do what I usually do. That’s when it’s really going to hit me.”
It’ll probably hit home even more when Fleury returns to Pittsburgh next season, when the Golden Knights (or whichever team he ends up on) come to town. Fleury will be in the visiting dressing room, sitting on the opposite bench and wearing a different uniform, but he’ll have plenty of fansin the crowd.
If there was any doubt, he made sure of that this week.
“If he ever has to play the Penguins, I will definitely just be cheering on the sport,” Fallecker said. “I can’t root against the Penguins, but I also can’t root against him.”