| NAME: |
Marc-Andre Fleury |
| NHL/AHL: |
Pittsburgh Penguins/WBS Penguins |
| POSITION: |
Goaltender (G) |
| HT: |
6-2 |
| WT: |
172 |
| BIRTHDATE: |
March 20, 1985 |
| BIRTHPLACE: |
Sorel, Quebec |
| LAST AMATEUR CLUB: |
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) |
| ACQUIRED: |
NHL Draft, 2003, 1st Round, 1 OA |
| FAB50 2005 RANKING |
6 |
Is Marc-Andre Fleury ready for full-time NHL duty on a troubled team where he would be a natural lightning rod for a pack of Penguins plagued with problems?
Early this season it was clear that neither Joycelyn Thibault nor Sebastien Caron would be the answer to Pittsburgh’s net needs. Arguably, Fleury, the No. 6 pick in the MLN FAB50 Hockey 2005 rankings, was the best at his position in the AHL. Pittsburgh’s glaring need in goal left it little choice but to recall him on Nov. 28, 2005.
Fleury had plenty of seasoning in the AHL without much pressure from the parent Pens thanks to the NHL lockout. He honed his skills with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, setting team records in 2004-2005 in wins (26), shutouts (5), minutes played (3029), and games played by a goaltender (54). MLN estimated at that time that he was headed to an NHL career.
The 12 games for the Baby Pengins in 2005-2006 showed every sign that Fleury might be ready for the call to the NHL: He went 10-2, with a 1.57 goals against average and a 0.939 save percentage.
Current Wilkes-Barre/Scranton coach Joe Mullen was impressed with Fleury when he worked in Pittsburgh,
"He's a great kid and I'm sure he's going to be a great hockey player,'' Mullen said. "He's a kid who is still learning.''
On the job training may not work on many squads. For the struggling Penguins, though, things can’t get a whole lot worse. Fleury’s on-the-job training may be less noticeable in the current pack of Pens. Let he who is without sin cast the first puck.
"He's definitely got a lot of talent and someday, he's going to be one of the great ones,'' Mullen said.
So far, Fleury has posted a 7-20-4 record witrh a 3.29 GAA. He has faced 1,043 shots and stopped 939 of them. He has played 54 career NHL games (11-34-2-4, 3.42 GAA).
Pittsburgh selected Fleury with the 1st overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
The acrobatic 6-2, 176 pound goaltender from Sorel, Quebec played for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Fleury played parts of four seasons with the Screaming Eagles compiling a record of (63) wins, (54) losses, and (17) ties. He limited opposing teams to (3.21) goals per game over his four seasons, quite impressive in the ultra high scoring QMJHL. As a reward for his great play, he was twice named the starting goaltender for Team Canada's World Junior Championship Team, both years returning with a silver medal.
He made the Pittsburgh Penguins out of training camp in 2003-2004, playing in (21) games, recording his first four professional wins prior to getting returned to the Screaming Eagles for the second half of the season, as well as the playoffs.
"When you watch him play, you can see the talent that's out there,'' Mullen said. "He's very athletic, very quick and he can make some unbelievable saves.''
The future is now for Pittsburgh. Fleury is the best goalie in their organization and it is hoped that he will grow with a young team into a contending club in the not too distant future.
For his time spent in the AHL, and his status as the best goaltender in the minors through the large portion of the first half of the season in which he played for the AHL pens, he makes the FAB50 as our No. 1 goaltender and one of the top three developing players in hockey.
- Fran Sypek
