Fleury fights back tears as Pens career comes full circle Marc-Andre Fleury tried his best to keep it together, fighting back the tears amid everyone else’s euphoria, until he just couldn’t hold it any longer. Standing on the ice at Bridgestone Arena where he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2003, Fleury’s career in Pittsburgh - where he was both the longest-tenured and most popular Penguin - had come full circle. He knew it.

Frank Seravalli TSN Senior Hockey Reporter Follow|Archive

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Marc-Andre Fleury tried his best to keep it together, fighting back the tears amid everyone else’s euphoria, until he just couldn’t hold it any longer.

Standing on the ice at Bridgestone Arena where he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2003, Fleury’s career in Pittsburgh - where he was both the longest-tenured and most popular Penguin - had come full circle. He knew it.

Fleury’s days with the Penguins are numbered now.

Fleury passing the Stanley Cup to Game 6 starter Matt Murray marked the official symbolic passing of the torch, if last spring did not, something that’s an even tougher reality now given what played out in the Eastern Conference final when coach Mike Sullivan chose to ride the 23-year-old net minder the rest of the way.

“Obviously, you want to play the last game and battle for the Cup, but that’s the way it is,” Fleury said, holding his young daughter, wearing a No. 29 jersey with “Daddy” on the back. “I was happy again to get a chance to lift the Cup. I think me and Matt did it together for the playoffs. I thought it would be nice to share it with him.”

The only real surprise on Sunday night was that captain Sidney Crosby chose Ron Hainsey as the Cup’s first recipient instead of Fleury.

It was Fleury who jumped into the crease for the second chance of a lifetime just minutes before Game 1 of the first round against Columbus when Murray went down with an injury in warmup. He only delivered nine of the 16 wins required for the hardware, leaving Murray to reel off seven wins in 10 starts.

Fleury, 32, was outstanding in the first two rounds. He sandwiched two shutouts - including Game 7 when he knocked off the President’s Trophy-winning Washington Capitals - around a one-goal performance against the Senators in the Eastern Conference Final.

He then faltered ever so briefly in Game 3 in Ottawa, allowing four goals on nine shots in the first period, and never saw the net again. It is still one of the shortest leashes in NHL history. Fleury was 9-5-0 with a .931 save percentage heading into that period. Sullivan said he went with Murray, the 2016 winner, because he was “fresh.”

When he lifted the Cup, Fleury said he tried to think of the good times, not the pain of not being in the net.

“I tried to remind myself about Columbus and Ottawa and that one game in Ottawa,” Fleury said. “I tried to remember those games.”

Murray’s numbers ended up slightly better at .937, thanks to two shutouts over the final two games, and it’s hard to knock Sullivan’s decision. Murray made history, of course, become the first goaltender to win a Stanley Cup in each of his first two seasons - while actually keeping his “rookie” status in the NHL this season.

Murray did something Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy and Cam Ward could not. But Fleury still deserved more than half of the credit for more than half of the wins.

“Murray was very special tonight,” Penguins GM Jim Rutherford, the former goalie, said. “But I want to make note of the fact that we wouldn’t be here without the performance of Fleury in the first two rounds. Both of our goalies were great.”

Rutherford lauded Fleury’s character, which makes him the perfect candidate to start over elsewhere, as hard as that may be. He’s not old - goaltenders can play forever - and he’s still at the top of his game with a manageable contract.

“You’d really have to convince me there’s a better team guy in professional sports,” Rutherford said. “Maybe of all-time.”

The choice will likely be with Fleury now on his next destination. It may be Vegas, or Fleury may be able to steer his limited no-trade clause to another spot in Calgary or Winnipeg or Philadelphia. The Penguins will want to do right by ‘Flower,’ the man who was the last line of defence on a bunch of bad teams before the glory and glamour of the Cups.

“When I first came around in 2003, it was tough winning games,” Fleury said. “But having all these guys join me and keep battling every season, try to get a perfect team, trying to win those championships. It’s been fun. It’s been a great time, a lot of good memories. I’m glad we did it.”