Veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury shuts down NHL comeback rumors amid team interest

Veteran goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has firmly dismissed speculation related to his NHL comeback. He has also reaffirmed his commitment to retirement, crushing the speculations about his return to the NHL. Earlier, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ goalie returned to Pittsburgh for one final match, donning the Black & Gold jersey, referring to his farewell to the sport.

According to the NHL, Marc-Andre Fleury was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NHL Draft. He became the third goalie to be chosen first, after Michel Plasse of the Montreal Canadiens and Rick DiPietro of the New York Islanders.

Fleury ended the calendar year of 2023 by becoming the fourth goalie in NHL history to play at least 1,000 games, joining Martin Brodeur (1,266), Roberto Luongo (1,044), and Patrick Roy (1,029), making 26 saves in a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

Marc-Andre Fleury dismisses NHL comeback rumor, reaffirms his stance on retirement

Veteran Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has reaffirmed his commitment to retirement, dismissing speculation about returning to the NHL despite team interest. According to reports, Fleury addressed the rumors directly during a Pittsburgh Penguins reunion event on Saturday. He stated during the event, "No, no chance. I'm happy like this."

Also, speaking to USA Today Sports, Fleury stated, “I had some calls, and I took the time to think about it. It's very nice of them to think of me in that way, very flattering, but then at the end of the day, I stopped playing for some reasons. I thought it was better to just stay on the sidelines.” (Source: Sportskeeda)


Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Josh Yohe also said, “I’ve spoken with Fleury and several people close to him in recent weeks, and while I don’t doubt he misses life in the NHL, I don’t think we’ll see him playing in the league again. The Flower seems very content in retirement, and I take him at his word.”

Since stepping away from the league, Fleury briefly returned to international competition at the World Championships before joining the Penguins on a professional tryout last year, even taking the ice in a preseason game at PPG Paints Arena.

Before bidding goodbye, Fleury also won his 490th game on May 5, making 26 saves in a 3-2 overtime win against the Minnesota Wild to move past Luongo for third in NHL history.

Fleury's NHL career came to an end after 21 seasons in the Wild's 3-2 loss to the Golden Knights in Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round at Xcel Energy Center on May 1. He was second in League history at the time in victories (575), games played (1,051), and time on ice (60,669:03). It is said that the goalie would join Canada for the 2025 IIHF World Championship.


Get the latest WPL 2026 updates including WPL teams, full WPL 2026 schedule, and live scores for Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, UP Warriorz, Gujarat Giants, and Delhi Capitals. Also check the latest WPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.