Future Hall of Fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fluery doesn’t sound so sure about retirement anymore.
In an interview with NHL.com/fr. the Wild goalie said “the door is more open today for a return” than it was when the season started.
Fluery, 39, is in his second full season with Minnesota having made 848 saves for a .899 save percentage in 36 appearances. The Wild have a 16-12-5 record when Fleury starts this season.
Minnesota remain eight points out of the final Wild Card spot with just 10 games remaining in an up-and-down 2023-24 season for the Wild.
“When I played in Montreal in mid-October, I was still being very honest. I’d said that I was going to wait until the end of the season before making a decision on my future. I’d invited my friends and family, just in case that was my last game at Bell Centre,” said Fleury.
The icon has the second-most wins by a goaltender in league history. Having won three Stanley Cups throughout an illustrious career it would be no surprise to see the veteran hang up his skates after 20 seasons at the top level.
If he does return for another season in the NHL it will most likely only be with the Wild.
“Yeah, it’s probably Minnesota or retirement,” said Fluery. “I wouldn’t want to move and take my three kids out of their environment. They’ve moved enough already. I don’t want to uproot them. My girls have their school, their friends and their sports in Minnesota. And my wife Véronique is also happy here.”
On what a return would look like for him, Fluery said he would “sign a one-year contract” and then “figure it out from there.”
While the decision is largely up to him and his family, Fleury said he would want to chat with Wild general manager Bill Guerin before making his final decision.
“I want to know what he thinks,” said Fleury. “What are the plans for the Wild? … What does he think about me? Am I still an asset for the team?”
Fleury is cognizant of the team’s future at his position with highly touted goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt, who has been developing with the Iowa Wild the past couple seasons.
“I’ll need to know Bill’s plans,” said Fleury.
