Fleury welcomed back by fans with cheers, adoration in 1st game vs. Golden Knights

When Marc-Andre Fleury arrived in Las Vegas 4-plus years ago, he was joining what was considered a ragtag bunch of misfits, a group cast aside by their franchises and banished to the desert.

Nearly every pundit predicted a last-place finish for the NHL's newest expansion team.

How wrong we all were.

There were many reasons for the Golden Knights' remarkable 2017-18 season and subsequent run to the Stanley Cup Final.

At the top of the list, however, was Fleury. A three-time Stanley Cup winner in Pittsburgh, the surefire Hall of Fame goaltender instantly became the face of the franchise.

More than that, he:

• provided veteran leadership behind the scenes and on the ice, and made everyone feel like part of the team.

• proved he was still a sensational goalie.

• demonstrated incredible generosity on many occasions.

Add it all up and it's easy to see why he was so beloved in the city of lights and why Vegas fans were so amped up for his return for Saturday's game against the Blackhawks.

"Oh, it's gonna be bonkers," said Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb in a phone interview. "It's going to be a great ovation. I know a lot of people are excited for this game - fans for sure.

"And after playing with him for four years, I'm excited to play him and see the crowd's reaction. He deserves everything."

Fleury went through a similar night when he returned to Pittsburgh on Feb. 6, 2018 to face the Penguins for the first time in an enemy sweater. He lost that game, 5-4.

But this time he bested his former team, turning away 30 shots and lifting the Hawks to an unlikely 2-1 victory.

During warmups Fleury chatted with former teammate and fellow goalie Robin Lehner. Then, just before puck drop, came a tribute video that had Fleury in tears.

"Lot of memories come through by seeing that," Fleury said. "I looked around and (took) it in. To see the full arena. People on their feet. Just hearing the song that's so familiar. It was cool."

McNabb, who came to Vegas in the expansion draft, said Fleury was extremely instrumental in the Golden Knights' red-hot start that first season.

"He almost made everything easier on everyone, just by how big of a household name he is and how good of a guy he is," McNabb said. "He made everyone comfortable, no matter who you were. ...

"That's just from his experience, his leadership, his character. He was a big part of settling things down to begin with."

Fleury went 3-0-1 in Vegas' first four games, but missed two months with an injury. That didn't stop Vegas or the veteran netminder, who went a remarkable 29-13-4 that season with a .927 save percentage and 2.24 goals-against average.

While many figured the Cinderella season would end in the postseason, Vegas had other ideas and raced to the Stanley Cup Final after sweeping Los Angeles, taking care of San Jose in six games and ousting Winnipeg in five.

The joy ride ended when Washington bested Vegas in five games - but what a ride it was.

Fleury led Vegas to three more playoff appearances, the last of which ended with him on the bench in favor of Robin Lehner in a Game 6 loss to Montreal in the league's semifinals last season.

"Always in playoffs, he saved our bacon a lot of times," McNabb said. "It was fun to see. He always had so much fun out there.

"We were always hooting and hollering. He makes a big save, he's whooping it up. Him and I, we would always be yelling at each other, in good ways. It was just a lot of fun being on the ice with him. That's something I'll never forget."

Another thing fans will never forget is Fleury's generosity. He donated $100,000 to game-day workers shortly after the coronavirus shut down the league in March 2020. He helped load donated children's bikes into trucks for Christmas in 2020. He took time to play street hockey with neighborhood kids just days after Vegas lost Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.

Just three examples among many.

"He was just so loved here," McNabb said. "I know he put his own money into certain things and did whatever he could. If there was a way to help out, him and his wife would always be there - be one of the first ones donating or bringing up (a cause), saying, 'We should do something.'

"They're just class-act people."

Fleury, while looking forward to Saturday's game, knew it wouldn't be easy to focus.

The emotions were intense during warmups. During pregame introductions. And especially during that truly special tribute video.

So much happened in his four years with Vegas, a franchise he was hoping to end his career with.

It didn't work out that way. Life doesn't always work out the way you'd hoped.

But that's OK with Fleury. Because, in the end, he's still doing what he loves.

"It's behind me," Fleury said of the trade that sent him to Chicago last off-season. "It's six months ago, right? I'll always be grateful for my time here with this organization.

But I'm fortunate that the Blackhawks wanted me to play for them and continue doing what I love, playing hockey.

"I'm grateful for that."