Beloved goalie gives encore performance for Wild, wrapping up a legendary NHL career

Wild star Kiril Kaprisov. Photo by Sophia Blew.

As the seats of Xcel Energy Center filled with fans Tuesday night for the Wild’s final regular season matchup against the Anaheim Ducks, goaltender Marc-André Fleury prepared for his final regular season NHL game. But Fleury would watch from the bench as Filip Gustavsson took the net in a game crucial to the Wild’s playoff hopes. 

With a playoff spot on the line, fans eagerly watched as the Wild were the first to score with a goal from Marcus Johansson, but the lead was quickly broken with a lucky bounce in goal from Alex Killorn to tie the game for the Ducks.

The Ducks continued their offensive play with a goal from Sam Colangelo in the second period, leaving the Wild down by 1 as they entered the third period.  

As time wound down, Wild fans were on the edges of their seats, but with less than 30 seconds left in the game, Filip Gustavsson would skate to the bench to give the Wild the extra attacker, allowing them to generate scoring opportunities, with Joel Eriksson Ek capitalizing on the chance with a goal from the back door of the net to send the Wild to overtime –  clinching their playoff berth.   

As the Wild entered overtime knowing they had a playoff spot, they decided to give Fleury a proper send-off. Fleury would take the net and play the final regular-season minutes of his career. As Fleury took the net, cheers erupted. Ducks and Wild fans alike cheered the name of the tenured goaltender, showing their appreciation for his dedication to the sport and the impact he has had on the NHL.   

There were no silent moments in the 4-minute and 42-second overtime, as Fleury saved all five shots he faced in impressive fashion, while Matt Boldy scored a highlight reel goal from in front of the net, to help the Wild overcome the Ducks in overtime, giving Fleury his 71st overtime win. Fans flooded the streets surrounding Xcel, celebrating the hopeful cup run the Wild will face in the coming weeks.   

The game was a celebration of the fans and their dedication to the team in a long and sometimes difficult 82-game stretch. But the fans had other plans, turning the game into a celebration of Fleury. Celebrating the future Hall of Famer’s illustrious career.    

This season, Marc-André Fleury announced he’d be retiring from professional hockey after 21 seasons. In those 21 seasons, Fleury has won the Stanley Cup 3 times, along with a Vezina trophy for the best goaltender in the NHL.    

A Wild fan expresses excitement after being handed defenseman Jake Middleton’s stick after warmups. Photo by Sophia Blew.

He hopes to chase his 4th Stanley Cup as the Wild matchup with his former team, the Vegas Golden Knights, in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.  Although it’s unclear if Fleury will start in any of the games against the Golden Knights, if he does, he has the chance to break more records and add to his case for a first-ballot Hall of Famer. If Fleury can earn a shutout in the playoff series, he can add Vegas as number 30 on the list of NHL teams he’s recorded a shutout against.    

As the season comes to a close, fans reflect on the impact Marc-André Fleury has had on the Wild and the NHL. Throughout his career Fleury has been known as a humble and personable player, gaining fans wherever he played. Fans from all over the world have shown their support for Fleury through his 21-season career, with fans even flying into Minnesota to watch him play in his final season. In his final regular-season minutes, fans gave Flower his flowers for a fantastic career.   

This review was awarded second place in the 2025 Journalism Day at the Minnesota Wild event, sponsored by Journalism Educators of Minnesota and the Minnesota High School Press Association. On Wed., April 15, several journalism students from Minnesota high schools toured Xcel Center, learned about NHL coverage from Minnesota Wild media professionals and watched the evening game between the Wild and Anaheim Ducks. Students contributed a story or photography from the game in two separate contests. Minnehaha junior Dylan Lennick won honorable mention for his game story. Congratulations to Yoni Zacks of The Blake School for winning first place in the writing category. In photography, the winners were: Kendal Picka, Orono High School (first), Caden Deardurff, Saint Paul Academy & Summit School (second), Lauren Hoffman, St. Croix Preparatory Academy (honorable mention). Minnehaha Academy thanks JEM, MHSPA, the Guthrie Theater and program coordinator Rachel Steil for offering students this opportunity.