Canadian Olympic gold medalist Marc Andre-Fleury of Sorel-Tracy, Quebec has agreed to compete for the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2021-22 National Hockey League regular season. The 36-year-old who won the Vezina Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy in 2020-21, was traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Chicago Blackhawks on July 27 for prospect forward Mikael Hakkarainen.
There was speculation that Fleury would retire and not join the Blackhawks. However that is not the case, and Fleury announced on Sunday he has agreed to join Chicago for the season according to ESPN.
Fleury had a stellar season for Vegas in 2020-21. He had a record of 26 wins and 10 losses, along with a goals against average of 1.98, a save percentage of .928 and six shutouts. The Blackhawks will be Fleury’s third NHL team. In addition to four seasons with Vegas, Fleury spent 13 seasons from 2003 to 2017 with the Pittsburgh Penguins. While with Pittsburgh, Fleury led the NHL in shutouts with 10 in the 2014-15 season, and won three Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 2009, 2016 and 2017. He won his Olympic gold medal with Canada at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.
By trading Fleury to Chicago, Robin Lehner will be Vegas’s number one netminder this season. Meanwhile, Laurent Brossoit of Port Alberni, British Columbia, who the Golden Knights acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in free agency, will be Vegas’s backup.
