Marc-Andre Fleury returns to Penguins on PTO for ceremonial preseason send-off

A full-circle skate in Pittsburgh

Forty-year-old Marc-Andre Fleury is pulling on a Penguins sweater again—one more time, on home ice, and with purpose. The franchise icon has signed a professional tryout (PTO) and will take part in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at 7:00 PM at PPG Paints Arena. He’s scheduled to practice with the team at noon on Friday, then appear for portions of the exhibition the following night.

This is not a comeback. Fleury retired after the 2024-25 season, closing a 22-year run that spanned four teams and a trophy case that tells the story of a rare career. The PTO is a ceremonial bridge, a chance to celebrate a player who means as much to Pittsburgh as any goalie ever has.

Penguins president of hockey operations and GM Kyle Dubas framed the moment as a thank-you and a homecoming. His message was simple: Fleury’s value to the Penguins isn’t just the rings and records—it’s the standard he set and the way he connected with a city. Expect an arena full of cell phones in the air, towels twirling, and chants of “Flower!” rolling down from the upper bowl.

Fleury’s tie to Pittsburgh is deep and personal. Drafted first overall in 2003, he spent 13 seasons in black and gold, forming the core of an era with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. He started as the kid with acrobatic saves and grew into the steady heartbeat of three championship teams in 2009, 2016, and 2017. Penguins fans can still picture the final seconds of the 2009 Cup Final—Fleury’s sprawling stop on Nicklas Lidstrom sealing the win in Detroit. That clip still plays like a civic memory.

The numbers back the nostalgia. In Pittsburgh, he owns franchise records for games played by a goalie (691), wins (375), and shutouts (44). Across the NHL, he logged 1,051 regular-season appearances, went 575-339-97, and posted 76 shutouts—second in career victories behind Martin Brodeur. He strung together 15 seasons with at least 20 wins, nine with 30 or more, and twice hit the 40-win mark.

He left Pittsburgh in 2017 via the Vegas expansion draft and only added to his legacy. In 2021, he captured the Vezina Trophy with the Golden Knights, a late-career peak that proved he wasn’t just a product of a great team. He later skated for Chicago and wrapped with Minnesota, mentoring younger goalies while still delivering big nights. Through it all, he stayed the same—easy laugh, sharp glove, and a knack for turning tough moments into calm ones.

Why a PTO, and why now

A PTO is the right tool for this kind of tribute. It lets a retired player practice and suit up in the preseason without any contract complications or salary-cap angles. The team can manage his workload, make sure the night stays safe, and give fans a proper goodbye with real game action. The Penguins have been clear: this is a celebration framed around a few controlled shifts in net, not a roster decision.

It’s also unusual. Most teams stage ceremonial send-offs with a “one-day contract” that never touches the ice. Think Daniel Alfredsson with Ottawa or Zdeno Chara with Boston—poignant moments, no shifts played. Pittsburgh is doing something different, and a little braver, by letting Fleury take the crease in a live exhibition. That makes the night feel less like a formality and more like a final chapter being written on the ice.

The Penguins’ camp rhythm shouldn’t skip a beat. September is about evaluations—who wins a roster spot, who gets AHL reps, who pushes for special-teams time. A partial appearance by Fleury won’t derail that. Coaches can script a tight window for him, then rotate back to the goalies who are competing for jobs. For them, sharing the net with a future Hall of Famer is a bonus lesson in poise and prep.

And there’s the bond. Fleury didn’t just win in Pittsburgh; he stayed approachable and present through all of it. Teammates talk about the pranks, the grin behind the mask, the pats on the pads after a rough shift. Fans remember the way he waved to kids at warmup and flipped a puck over the glass. That human side is a big reason a preseason cameo can carry real weight.

Game presentation will likely match the moment. You can expect a video tribute, a long ovation, and a bench full of players tapping sticks on the boards. The Penguins haven’t detailed whether he’ll start or come in mid-game, or how many minutes he’ll play. What they’ve signaled is enough: you’ll see him in net, in black and gold, in front of the people who watched him grow up in goal.

There’s also a small, practical upside for the organization. Nights like this knit generations of fans together and remind a market what the team stands for. They boost preseason interest, yes, but they also anchor a season’s tone, especially with the franchise’s longtime core—Crosby, Malkin, Letang—still setting the standard in the room.

By any measure, Fleury’s résumé stands tall. He owns the stats, the silverware, and the signature playoff moments. He also adapted as the league changed—goalie techniques tightened, shooters got quicker, rules shifted—without losing the athletic flair that made him so watchable. The 2021 Vezina with Vegas wasn’t just a late-career prize; it was proof that discipline and joy can live together in a goalie’s game.

How rare is this type of send-off? It doesn’t happen often in the NHL, where the calendar moves fast and camps are packed. That’s part of what makes Saturday special. It’s a hockey city taking a quiet beat before the grind, tipping its cap to a player who gave it joy, frustration, relief, and three parades.

For anyone heading to PPG Paints Arena, here’s what to keep an eye on. The club has not published minute-by-minute plans, but these are the natural beats of a night like this:

• A longer-than-usual ovation when he first steps on the ice.
• A controlled on-ice window—enough to let him feel the game, not enough to risk anything.
• Teammates funneling to him at the first TV timeout for a quick tap on the mask.
• A wave to the crowd, maybe a twirl of the stick, during a stoppage.

Tickets are available through team channels, and demand should be strong. The Penguins’ fan base has a long memory, and Fleury moments travel well. Expect throwback jerseys in the stands, from the early-2000s look to the Cup-era designs. Expect kids on shoulders and adults explaining that 2009 save like it happened last week.

He’ll skate off Saturday with his legacy untouched and, if anything, a shade richer. The send-off doesn’t rewrite his career; it adds a final scene in the right setting. When his Hall of Fame window opens, the numbers and the narrative will both do the talking.

By the numbers that define the player and the night:

• Drafted: No. 1 overall by Pittsburgh in 2003.
• Penguins tenure: 13 seasons (2003–2017), three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, 2017).
• Franchise marks: 691 games, 375 wins, 44 shutouts—team records for a goaltender.
• NHL career: 1,051 games, 575-339-97, 76 shutouts (second all-time in wins).
• Awards: 2021 Vezina Trophy with Vegas; part of the Jennings-winning tandem that same season.

One more practice on Friday. One more crease on Saturday. One more roar from the building that watched him become a champion. Then the door closes the right way—at center ice in Pittsburgh.