Marc-Andre Fleury signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday.
The 39-year-old goalie could have become an unrestricted free agent after this season. He told LNH.com on March 29 he would only return to play for the Wild in 2024-25.
“Yeah, it’s probably Minnesota or retirement,” Fleury said. “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.
“If I come back, I’d sign a one-year contract. And then we’ll figure it out from there. The door is more open today for a return than it was in September or October.”
Fleury is 17-14-5 with a 2.98 goals-against average, .895 save percentage and two shutouts in 39 games (35 starts) this season. He played the 1,000th game of his NHL career Dec. 31 against the Winnipeg Jets and passed Patrick Roy for second in NHL history with his 552nd win, 5-0 against the New York Islanders on Jan. 15. The four-time NHL All-Star (2011, 2015, 2018, 2019) leads active goalies in wins (561), games (1,024), starts (994) and shutouts (75). He has at least one win against all 32 NHL teams and was voted winner of the 2021 Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the League.
Minnesota general manager Bill Guerin said March 29 he was more than open to seeing Fleury possibly return for another season.
“I like his approach and his love for hockey,” Guerin said. “He’s a professional, he’s well-prepared, he works hard, and he wants to win. He has a positive influence in this locker room, and he’s an incredible role model.”
The Wild did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Their season ends against the Seattle Kraken at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday (ESPN, 7 p.m.).
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