It was an emotional night on Thursday as Marc-Andre Fleury faced the Montreal Canadiens for the final time as a visitor. The Minnesota Wild goalie was not a busy man overall. He faced 19 shots in total from the Habs, and he stopped them all. Fleury backstopped the Wild to a 4-0 win at the Bell Centre on Thursday night.

After the game, the Canadiens showed some real class. All of the Habs skaters, goalies, and coaches lined up to shake Fleury's hand. He shook each of their hands as the Montreal crowd in attendance gave him a standing ovation.

Fleury, a Quebec native, is ending his long and historic career at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. He went first overall in the 2003 NHL Draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins. “Flower” went on to win two Stanley Cups in his career, both with the Penguins. With 571 wins under his belt, he is a very solid case for a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame once he's eligible for induction.

Marc-Andre Fleury reacts to classy Canadiens gesture

Minnesotas Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) warms up before playing the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
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Marc-Andre Fleury spoke after the game on Thursday night. He did not expect the gesture from the Canadiens. Especially coming off a lopsided shutout loss. But he expressed his gratitude and how much it meant to him when speaking with the media.

“I don’t think they’ve done that before,” the Wild goalie said, via Sportsnet. “I was surprised. It was very humbling for me that they stayed out, and Marty, too, who I played against for so many years. “To have the respect of my teammates and the other team’s, the other players around the league, and the fans — even though I’m on the road — and the French Canadians, the English people from Quebec — it means a lot to me.”

Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis addressed why his team did what they did on Thursday. French Canadian culture is engrained into the fabric of Montreal as a city and franchise. Recognizing the legacy of one of the best French Canadian players of the modern era is something St. Louis felt his team needed to do.

“We lost the game, but we paid our respects to a player who has earned that respect with a long career as a Francophone Quebecer here in Montreal,” St. Louis said, via Sportsnet. “I think it was our obligation to do that, even with the result…”