LAS VEGAS -- "And now, the end is near. And so I'll face the final curtain. ... I've lived, a life that's full ... I've traveled each and every highway. And more, much more than this, I did it My Way."
The lyrics Paul Anka wrote for Frank Sinatra when he was set to retire from entertainment roughly 55 years ago couldn't fit any better for Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-André Fleury, who's certainly done things his way during a 21-year career that undoubtedly will usher him into the Hall of Fame one day.
The former Golden Knight will retire when Minnesota's playoff run comes to an end - either with a loss or by hoisting Lord's Stanley Cup in June - and he'll do so as one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history.
The 40-year-old won three Stanley Cup championships in 2009, 2016, and 2017, all with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He also received the William M. Jennings Trophy and the Vezina Trophy in 2021, while playing for Vegas. And over the final three seasons of his career, with Chicago and Minnesota, he's continued to make his mark on all-time statistical leaderboards for goaltenders. He'll retire with 575 regular-season wins, the second-most in history.
It didn't come as a surprise that Minnesota's chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association nominated him for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. It's the third time he's been nominated for the award.
"He just loves the game," Minnesota GM Bill Guerin said during Minnesota's April 16 episode of Beyond Our Ice. "That's allowed him to play as long as he has, his passion and love for the game."
Added Wild rinkside reporter Kevin Gorg: "This is a first-ballot lock Hall of Famer, this is one of the best at his position all-time."
FAREWELL TOUR
As his emotional final season winds down, Fluery shared some thoughts with The Hockey News during Minnesota's stop in Vegas for Games 1 and 2 of the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs.
From video tributes, to quick postgame visits with friends and former teammates, to sold-out arenas filled with fans of opposing teams chanting his name, it's certainly not what he expected.
"Maybe a little more than I was asking for," he said, flashing his trademark grin. "Last year I got asked every day if I was retiring after the season, so that's why early in the season, I just said, 'Yeah, (this is) my last one', so people would stop asking me.
"But I didn't expect all the cheers and tributes and TVs on the jumbotrons and guys lining up for handshakes and stuff. Just a lot of emotions going through that stuff. So many good memories playing in this league. Yeah, it was definitely a special year."
While Fleury still has one more trip to Vegas, albeit backing up Minnesota starter Filip Gustavsson for Game 5, he admitted his farewell tour has had plenty of emotional stops. Most notably, his final start in Pittsburgh, a 5-3 win on Oct. 29, 2025, and the final trip to his hometown of Montreal, a 4-0 victory on Jan. 30.
"Obviously (in Vegas), being part of the first team to start (the franchise), and the love that people have shown me since day one, for me and my family," Fleury said. "And Pittsburgh, I was there for a long time, 14 years. And Montreal, it was very special, going back home.
"The way people react, the guys on the ice, also. It's a little crazy, a little surreal. I still get butterflies thinking about it."
As the final seconds ticked off the clock in Pittsburgh and Montreal, both arenas could do nothing but cheer for one of the most beloved players in league history, chanting his name as opposing players lined up to shake his hand one last time.
Fleury said he's had his collection of confidants to turn to this season whenever he's needed to bend an ear about his decision, or simply to get advice on what to expect during retirement. Whether it's been his sister or a cousin who plays goalie, or people around the league, he's had people he can count on.
"I feel like I always see guys that I played with, or coaching, scouting, or GMs or doing TV, doing radio," said Fleury, who finished his last-ever regular season 13-9-1 with a 2.97 goals-against average, .897 save percentage and one shutout. "So it's always good to pick their brains a bit on how things are after hockey, and how they do. It's good to catch up with guys, obviously, to learn a bit from their experience."
THE END IS NEAR
Fleury said while there are mornings he wakes up feeling younger than ever, which isn't shocking considering the regimen he keeps to maintain his physique, he's ready to enjoy life with his wife Veronique and their three children Estelle, Scarlett and James.
"I think she's worried for having me ever day at the house," Fleury said with a chuckle. "But I think I'm there. There's some mornings I feel good, still feel young and energetic. I think time catches up, age catches up.
"(Besides), after this season I can't come back. You know, I can't be saying all these goodbyes (and come back)."
Fleury, who still owns his house in Las Vegas, said he and Veronique have scrapped plans of returning to Southern Nevada for retirement and will stay in Minnesota.
"We've been in Minnesota for three years now, and the kids have moved schools, from Pittsburgh to Vegas to Chicago to Minnesota, and now they finally have a little bit of stability," he said. "So until I figure out what I want to do and where I'm going or whatever, I think it was the right thing, just to keep them in school, keep them with their friends."
Now, it's only a matter of time before ol' Flower walks through a tunnel and takes the ice one final time.
So, it seemed only fitting that the Wild meet the Knights in the postseason, as it means Fleury will experience the vibes he helped create from the first time the Golden Knights stepped foot on the ice.
It's one thing he said that will never get old: feeling the energy inside T-Mobile Arena.
"We know it's gonna be a battle to the end," he said. "It's always good to come back in the city, right? I've met a lot of great people around the team and outside the rink also, and good to see (media members). So that's a good part about it, coming back a little bit more and catching up with people.
"I had so many good times being here in this building. A little different, being on the opposing team, but still good memories to be in the building, being so loud. Seeing Golden Pipes (Carnell Johnson) sing (the National Anthem), and people cheering too. I think it's good to be back and have those memories back again.
"People have been so good to me, my family, and always be thankful for that."
Bruce Boudreau Talks NHL Playoffs, Canucks' Hughes And Ovechkin by The Big Showundefined
