The Penguins were celebrating in their locker room on May 10 in the moments following their Game 7 victory in Washington, but someone was missing.



Finally, Marc-Andre Fleury emerged, still wearing his equipment, the trademark grin that had been largely absent for a couple of years flashing bigger than ever following the unforgettable 2-0 shutout. Before Fleury could make it to his locker, he was intercepted by Jim Rutherford, who is rarely in the locker room. The general manager gave Fleury a bearhug, and at that moment, Rutherford was channeling an entire city.



Since then, Fleury has moved on to Las Vegas but left his heart — along with his charitable spirit, 375 wins, a lifetime of good memories and a final chapter for the ages — in Western Pennsylvania. For that, he has been selected as The Athletic’s Pittsburgh’s 2017 Person of the Year.



“There’s only one Flower,” Sidney Crosby says of the 33-year-old Fleury.