After enjoying one of the most successful careers in goaltending history, Marc-Andre Fleury was given a grand farewell into his retirement by the Pittsburgh Penguins in what should become a commonplace tradition among NHL clubs.
Many of Fleury's career highlights came with the team that drafted him first overall in 2003, so it was only appropriate that the Penguins would send him off with the ultimate goodbye: a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement, and one final preseason game in the city that started it all. It gave the fans an opportunity to thank him for his contributions on and off the ice, and it gave the affectionately-nicknamed Flower a unique chance to be recognized for his accomplishments.
Usually, when players retire from the NHL, there are some limited ways that clubs will show their appreciation. Some players will sign a one-day contract so they can technically retire as a member of the club that they spent the most time with, like Wayne Simmonds with the Philadelphia Flyers. The most elite skaters will earn entire ceremonies, standing ovations, and their jersey in the rafters, which still could be on the slate for Fleury after everything he achieved.
Fleury finishes his NHL career with the second-most wins of all time at 575 victories in 1,051 games, the majority of those with the Penguins. That's in addition to his three Stanley Cup rings with Pittsburgh, a Vezina Trophy win as the league's most elite goalie in 2021 with the Vegas Golden Knights, and the William M. Jennings Trophy in the same year.
With such a decorated career, plus one of the best personalities in hockey, it's only fitting that the Penguins would want to honor Fleury in a special way. Now, with Pittsburgh's classy gesture, the hope is that other NHL teams begin to follow suit to recognize the players that helped shape the franchise.
Looking across the NHL, there are plenty of worthy candidates for the same type of recognition, but none sticks out more than someone like Patrick Kane. The 36-year-old spent his glory days with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he was one of the cornerstones of the team's three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
Not only that, but Kane is permanently etched in the record books with the third-most goals, second-most points, and third-most multi-point games in Chicago's century-long history alongside Hall of Famers and all-time NHL legends.
There's little doubt that Kane's No. 88 will be hanging in the rafters of the United Center someday, and his emotional return to Chicago for the first time as a member of the Detroit Red Wings was nothing short of memorable. Not only did he get several minutes of uninterrupted fanfare and a video montage, but Kane scored a game-winning goal in overtime that had even the Blackhawks fans cheering despite the fact that Kane was on the opposing team this time.
But how special would it be for Kane to lace up his skates for the home team in Chi-Town one last time in his career? He's still a few years away from retirement, but the Blackhawks executives should be taking a look at what Pittsburgh did for Fleury and considering giving Kane a similar moment in the sun.