Nice Guys Don't Finish Last

It's hard not to like Marc-Andre Fleury. The guy just seems to be one of the nicest guys to ever have played in the NHL, and he seems to truly appreciate the effort that people take when it comes to honouring him. I know there are hockey teams who have been beaten by Fleury in big games who may feel differently about Fleury the hockey netminder, but the man inside the mask seems truly down-to-earth while being a ton of fun when it comes to his personality. Fleury is the kind of person we need more of in professional sports, so seeing him pick up a new honour for his work only makes his win tonight that much better. And he'll be the last guy to point at his own stats rather than crediting the teams in front him for helping him achieve this honour.

Fleury started the evening tied with Roberto Luongo at 489 wins in his career as a goaltender in the NHL, and, with an Alex Pietrangelo game-winning goal in the 3-2 Vegas win, Fleury ended the evening with 490 wins to move into sole possession of third-place all-time in wins for an NHL goaltender. He still trails second-place Patrick Roy by 61 wins and Martin Brodeur's 691 wins seems untouchable based on Fleury's age, but for Marc-Andre Fleury to be among names like Brodeur, Roy, Luongo, and Belfour proves that he's one of the best to ever have tied the pads onto his legs.

Again, Fleury would be the first to credit his teammates for helping him earn that number. 375 of his 490 wins happened over 13 seasons with the Penguins, and it's only gotten better since joining the Vegas Golden Knights as he's averaged 29 wins per season in his four seasons in the Nevada desert. He's played in Winter Classics, Stanley Cup Finals, and a host of other big games for the Penguins and Golden Knights, and he's never lost that trademark smile of his despite the ups and downs of his NHL career.

"He's always there for his friends, his family," Sidney Crosby told William Ramirez of Knights On Ice. "You can talk to him about anything, whether it's hockey or life in general, I think he's just an easy guy to talk to.

"He really, genuinely cares about every single guy, whether you're a first-year player or you've played with him for multiple years, he just wants the team to win."

Winning is something he's done often as his numbers show despite his abilities often being questioned after stumbling in one playoff game or "looking off" in the regular season. Through it all, though, Fleury never went to the media and demanded that he start nor did he throw a tantrum when being told he was being relegated to the back-up role. He quietly voiced his unhappiness with the decision, but remained a team-first guy.

"Certainly he was disappointed that he wasn't starting in the next series after playing so well in the first two rounds," then-Penguins GM Jim Rutherford told Sports Illustrated's Matt Larkin about Matt Murray taking over for Fleury in the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. "Quietly, he said that, but certainly not to the point where he was creating any issues. He's the best team player in pro sports the way he's handled everything here."

It's not often one finds a professional athlete whose humility might be better than his athletic ability, but it's pretty obvious that Marc-Andre Fleury is quietly confident in his abilities even when doubters are screaming the opposite. However, the likeable netminder isn't naive as he told Larkin that he was aware of who was ahead of him on the all-time wins list back in 2018 when he moved to Vegas.

"Yeah, I took a look at it," he said. "It's pretty cool. I've been lucky to play with a lot of good players and win some games. I want to keep winning, not to get up there, not to get No. 3. I just want to win so our team's successful, to get in the playoffs and have success in the playoffs. That's what matters."

Here's a guy whose greatness is being acknowledged with his body of work and statistics in the NHL, and he's deflecting it back to team success and winning as a team. This is why Marc-Andre Fleury is so well-liked by players, coaches, management, and staff in the NHL - he's never made it about himself when it comes to success.

It's refreshing to read just how humble Marc-Andre Fleury is as a player and person, but I'm going to buck the trend here and celebrate what Fleury accomplished tonight because 490 wins at the NHL level is mighty impressive. Congratulations, Marc-Andre, on all of your success that has come through a lot of team success, and I wish you many more wins in the future.

Honestly, it sincerely couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Until next time, keep yout sticks on the ice!