Marc-André Fleury is officially the No. 2 goaltender on the NHL’s all-time wins list, eclipsing the great Patrick Roy.
The 39-year-old Quebec netminder for the Minnesota Wild hit the milestone with a shining 5-0 shutout victory against the New York Islanders on Monday night.
Fleury recorded win No. 552 and in the process snapped the team’s four-game losing streak for the Wild. Now, he has surpassed one of his idols on the list of winningest goalies.
“I work hard every day. I try to do my best and take pride in winning, take pride in my team,” the Sorel, Que. native said in a post-game interview posted on the team’s social media accounts.
“And obviously, what a feeling of having a crowd of 18,000 chanting your name and getting a little goosebumps. Where else in life are you going to get that? So I’ll cherish that for a long time.”
The tally for the most wins amongst NHL goaltenders is stacked with Quebec giants. In his own storied career, Roy achieved 551 regular season victories. The top spot belongs to Martin Brodeur with 691 wins.
A humble Fleury recently said if you would have told him he’d make that list, he would have quipped “you were (expletive) nuts … no way.” The three-time Stanley Cup winner never even thought he would make it to the NHL.
But clearly Fleury’s fans can see the talented goalie for what he is and quickly took to social media to celebrate his landmark win.
“What a career so far,” one person wrote.
Fleury also recently smashed another personal record after 20 years in the NHL.
He was the last goalie taken first overall at the draft when the Pittsburgh Penguins selected him No. 1 in 2003. Now, Fleury has played more than 1,000 games for a variety of teams, including the Vegas Golden Knights and the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Wild plan on marking the occasion with a night in Fleury’s honour when they face the Penguins next month on Feb. 9.
Minnesota will wear commemorative jerseys during the warm up and they will sprinkle in Fleury-themed elements throughout the night.
— with files from the Canadian Press and the Associated Press