As a youth, Fleury played in the 1998
Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the College-Français Rive-Sud
minor ice hockey team from
South Shore, Montreal. Fleury played
junior ice hockey in the
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the
Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, beginning in
2000–01. After a strong
2002–03 campaign that included a silver medal with
Canada junior team at the
World Junior Championships and QMJHL Second Team All-Star honours, he was chosen first overall in the
2003 NHL entry draft by the
Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins acquired the first overall pick from the
Florida Panthers in a trade that sent the first and 73rd overall picks to the Penguins in exchange for
Mikael Samuelsson and the third and 55th picks. He is only the third goalie to be chosen first overall in the
NHL entry draft, after
Michel Plasse and
Rick DiPietro. Playing four seasons total with Cape Breton, Fleury's jersey number 29 was later retired by the club in his fourth NHL season on January 25, 2008.
Pittsburgh Penguins (2003–2017) Fleury immediately made his NHL debut in
2003–04 as the youngest goaltender in the league at 18 years old (three years younger than the second-youngest, Rick DiPietro of the
New York Islanders). Fleury recorded his first NHL win in his very next start, on October 18, with 31 saves in a 4–3 win over the
Detroit Red Wings. When NHL play resumed in
2005–06, Fleury started the season once more in the minors, but was quickly called up by Pittsburgh for a game against the
Buffalo Sabres on October 10 to replace an injured
Jocelyn Thibault. He continued to play between Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh until November 28, after which he remained with Pittsburgh. With the Penguins finishing last in the
Eastern Conference and allowing a league-worst 316 goals, Fleury recorded a 3.25 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. Competing for time with Sébastien Caron and Jocelyn Thibault, Fleury emerged as the Penguins' starting goalie. Despite playing behind a shaky defence, Fleury was able to impress the team management with his technique and performance and signed a two-year contract extension worth $2.59 million in the off-season. In the
proceeding campaign, Fleury's stats improved significantly, playing behind a better Penguins team, which featured rising superstars
Sidney Crosby and
Evgeni Malkin, he recorded five shutouts and a 2.83 goals against average. He also broke
Johan Hedberg's
single season franchise record for most games and minutes played. Fleury made his
NHL playoff debut against the
Ottawa Senators, the eventual
Stanley Cup finalists, in the first round and recorded his first playoff win in game two, recording 34 saves in a 4–3 win at
Scotiabank Place. Fleury started the
2007–08 season slowly, then won four straight games before suffering a high-ankle sprain against the
Calgary Flames on December 6. He returned as a starter on March 2, after a brief conditioning stint in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. While sidelined, he decided to change the colour of his goaltending equipment from the bright yellow that had become his signature to plain white, to gain an optical advantage over shooters. He was also influenced and challenged by the very strong play of
Ty Conklin, who took the team's starting job after being promoted from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in Fleury's absence. Upon his return from injury, Fleury helped the Penguins win the
Atlantic Division, going 10–2–1 with a 1.45 goals against average In game five of the Final at Detroit, he stopped 55 of 58 shots in a triple
overtime win for the Penguins to stave off elimination. The Penguins lost the series in six games. At the start of the following season, he said: Fleury completed the playoffs with three shutouts – a new team record for one playoff season – and a 14–6 record. at the Pittsburgh Penguins' Stanley Cup parade on June 15, 2009 Fleury compiled a 35–18–7 record in
2008–09 to help the Penguins to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference, entering the
2009 playoffs as the defending
Prince of Wales champions. Fleury was a major factor in the first round against the Penguins' intrastate rivals the
Philadelphia Flyers. In game two at home, with a 2–1 deficit late in the third, Fleury made a key toe save against Flyers top goal scorer
Jeff Carter which was eventually pivotal as the Penguins tied the game late in the 3rd and won late in overtime. After the Flyers won game three comfortably, Fleury once again stole a game for the Penguins in game four, stopping 43 shots to keep a surging Flyers line-up at bay and ensure a 3–1 lead. The Flyers won in Pittsburgh in game five, but Fleury saved another performance for the final period of game six. After initially letting in 3 goals, Fleury did not allow another as the Penguins rallied from a 3–0 deficit to win 5–3. The Penguins went the full distance in the second round against the
Washington Capitals. Fleury and the Penguins then swept the
Carolina Hurricanes in the conference finals to return to the
Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings for the second consecutive year. After being pulled in game five after allowing five goals, Fleury made another momentous breakaway save in game six, this time with 1:39 minutes left in regulation against
Dan Cleary to preserve a 2–1 lead and help the Penguins force a game seven. Playing the series-deciding game in
Detroit, Fleury played an integral role in the Penguins 2–1 victory to capture the franchise's third Stanley Cup, making two critical saves in the final seconds. After stopping an initial
Henrik Zetterberg shot from the right faceoff circle, the rebound came loose to
Nicklas Lidström at the left faceoff circle, forcing Fleury to make a diving stop with 1.5 seconds remaining to preserve the win and the Stanley Cup. Fleury recorded a 37–21–6 record during the
2009–10 season, as the defending Stanley Cup champions Pittsburgh again finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. After dispatching
Ottawa in six games, the Penguins were upset by the eighth-seeded
Montreal Canadiens in round two, ending their chance of a Stanley Cup repeat, with game seven marked the last game at the
Mellon Arena. Fleury recorded a 2.78 goals against average during the Playoffs. , while teammate
Brooks Orpik defends during a January 2011 game With
Sidney Crosby and
Evgeni Malkin sidelined with injuries for much of the
2010–11 season, Fleury and the Penguins' defence were relied on to carry the team to the playoffs. Fleury finished with a 36–20–5 record, and the Penguins finished fourth in the Eastern Conference. The Penguins squared off against the
Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs, where they were defeated in seven games despite taking a 3–1 series lead early. Backup goalies
Brent Johnson and
Brad Thiessen struggled through much of the
2011–12 season, leaving Fleury as the only viable goaltending option. Fleury played 67 games in the season, starting 23 consecutive games at one point leading up to the All-Star break, and finished the season with 42 wins, second only to the
Nashville Predators'
Pekka Rinne. Despite the impressive regular season campaign, Fleury had a less-than-impressive playoff run, being eliminated by the
Philadelphia Flyers in the first round and posting a .834 save percentage and 4.63 goals against average, Fleury returned to the net after the lockout season with a vengeance, putting some of the best marks of his career in the shortened season, as he finished with a record of 23–8, tying him for fourth in the league, while his save percentage and goals against average continued to place him in the top half of starting goaltenders. The Penguins promising
2012–13 season ended abruptly with a 4–0 loss to the
Boston Bruins in the
Eastern Conference finals. After the season, however, Penguins officials confirmed that Fleury remained the team's starting goaltender. Fleury's performance during the regular season during
2013–14 was similar to his performance the year before, finishing with a record of 39–18–5 and posted a save percentage of .915 and a goals against average of 2.37; he posted a save percentage of .916 and a goals against average of 2.39 the year prior. On November 5, 2014, the Penguins signed Fleury to a four-year extension with an average annual value of $5.75 million. On November 18, 2014, he earned his first shutout against the Montreal Canadiens, making 27 saves for a league-leading fourth shutout of the season, with a final score of 4–0. On November 24, 2014, Fleury recorded his
300th NHL win, becoming the third-youngest and third-fastest player to reach the milestone. On April 11, Fleury recorded his league leading tenth shutout in a 2–0 victory against the
Buffalo Sabres to secure the last wild card spot in the East. In the 2015–16 season, the team struggled through the first half, resulting in the firing of head coach
Mike Johnston and the hiring of new coach
Mike Sullivan. Fleury played a great second half of the season before suffering a season ending concussion. He finished the season with an impressive 35 wins in 58 games played. The team made a final push with up-and-comer
Matt Murray in goal and qualified for the playoffs. Despite the Penguins qualifying for the
2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, Fleury was unable to play due to post-concussion syndrome until game four of the Eastern Conference finals against the
Tampa Bay Lightning where he subbed in for Murray at the start of the third period. Fleury then started game five, which the Penguins lost 4–3 in overtime. Fleury was then benched in favour of Murray. The Penguins would go on to win the Stanley Cup with Murray in goal, defeating the
San Jose Sharks in six games. When Matt Murray was injured during warm-ups of game one of the playoffs versus the
Columbus Blue Jackets, Fleury took the starting position and led the Penguins to a 3–1 win. Fleury continued to lead the Penguins through the series, and his 49 saves on 51 shots in game five helped the Penguins win the series against the Blue Jackets 4–1. With Murray out, Fleury continued to be the starter for the Penguins through the second round versus the back-to-back Presidents' Trophy-winning
Washington Capitals. The Penguins defeated the Capitals for the second consecutive time, this time in seven games, with Fleury shutting them out in game seven, and advanced to face the
Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference finals. Following a 5–1 loss in game three, the Penguins opted to go with a healthy Murray, who remained the team's starter en route to a Stanley Cup championship victory, defeating the
Nashville Predators in six games. The win was the third Stanley Cup of Fleury's career.
Vegas Golden Knights (2017–2021) On June 21, 2017, with the emergence of Matt Murray, Fleury willingly waived his no-trade and no-movement clauses to be left exposed by the Penguins for the
2017 NHL expansion draft, where he was subsequently selected by the
Vegas Golden Knights. Pittsburgh also traded their second round pick in the
2020 entry draft as an incentive for Vegas to select Fleury, in order for the team to be relieved of his nearly $6 million cap hit. He stopped 45 of 46 shots in the Golden Knights' first NHL game, a 2–1 victory over the
Dallas Stars. On October 15, 2017, Fleury was placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) after taking a knee to the head from
Anthony Mantha of the
Detroit Red Wings on October 13. He was activated off LTIR on December 10, 2017, after missing 25 games. Fleury was chosen to represent Vegas during the
2018 NHL All-Star Game. During the NHL All-Star Weekend, he won the inaugural
Save Streak competition where he saved 14 consecutive shootout attempts. On March 12, 2018, against the Philadelphia Flyers, Fleury earned his 400th career win with a final score of 3–2. Fleury started for the Knights during the first round of the
2018 playoffs. On April 17, 2018, the Golden Knights were able to secure a 4–0 record over the
Los Angeles Kings to sweep the first round. On May 6, after Fleury posted a shutout, the Golden Knights were able to move on to the Western Conference finals by beating the
San Jose Sharks in game six of their playoff series. On May 20, 2018, Fleury led the Golden Knights to a victory over the
Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference finals, which allowed Fleury to earn a shot at a fourth Stanley Cup. During the playoffs a Vegas casino created a chocolate sculpture showing him doing a butterfly. Fleury was in goal for each game of the Golden Knights' five-game loss to the Washington Capitals in the
2018 Stanley Cup Final. In the 2018 off-season, Fleury re-signed with the Knights on a three-year, $21 million contract. Because of his stellar play to start the
2018–19 season, Fleury was again selected to represent the Golden Knights in the
2019 NHL All-Star Game for the second straight year. At the time of the All-Star Game, Fleury led the NHL in wins (27) and shutouts (6). In game seven of Vegas' first round playoff series against the
San Jose Sharks, Fleury and the Golden Knights gave up four goals in four minutes after a controversial 5-minute major penalty was assessed to the Golden Knights because of teammate
Cody Eakin cross-checking Sharks' forward
Joe Pavelski. With Vegas unable to find a stable backup, Fleury was frequently overplayed during the 2019–20 season, posting a 2.77 goals against average and .905 save percentage. Fleury played sparingly during the
2020 playoffs, largely serving as Lehner's backup as the Golden Knights returned to the conference finals, losing to the
Dallas Stars in five games. The pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season saw Fleury have a bounce back from a mediocre 2019–20 campaign. At the age of 36, Fleury recorded a career-best 1.98 goals against average and a .928 save percentage, helping the Golden Knights to their third final four appearance in four seasons. In game three of the semifinals against the
Montreal Canadiens, Fleury misplayed the puck behind his net, coughing up the puck to
Josh Anderson, who tied the game with 1:55 left in regulation time and later scored the overtime winner to give the Canadiens a 2–1 series lead. As a result, Lehner started in net for the Golden Knights in game four, which they won in overtime to even the series at 2. Fleury returned in game five, but the Golden Knights lost 4–1 and the Canadiens took a 3–2 series lead, so Lehner played in game six which the Canadiens won in overtime to eliminate the Golden Knights and advance to the
2021 Stanley Cup Final. At the end of the season, Fleury was named to the
Second All-Star Team, and awarded his first
Vezina Trophy and first
William M. Jennings Trophy.
Chicago Blackhawks (2021–2022) On July 27, 2021, with the Golden Knights in need of salary cap space, Fleury was traded to the
Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for minor league forward
Mikael Hakkarainen, making Fleury the first goaltender since
Dominik Hašek to be traded as the defending Vezina Trophy winner. According to both Fleury and his agent Allan Walsh, Fleury was not notified by the Golden Knights about the trade, and the two learned about it on
Twitter. After being traded, Fleury reportedly contemplated retirement. However, on August 1, Fleury announced that he intended to play for the Blackhawks in the 2021–22 season. After the team began the season with a historically poor 0–7–2 start that would ultimately lead to the firing of coach
Jeremy Colliton, Fleury recorded his first win as a Blackhawk on November 1, 2021, in a 5–1 win against the
Ottawa Senators. On December 9, Fleury reached his 500th win in a shutout against the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the third goaltender in NHL history to reach the mark (after
Patrick Roy and
Martin Brodeur). On January 8, 2022, Fleury became the first goaltender in NHL history to beat all 32 teams in a win against the
Vegas Golden Knights. With the Blackhawks struggling and pivoting into a team rebuild, the possibility of trading Fleury became a subject of intense speculation in the leadup to the 2022 trade deadline, given his elite reputation and the impending expiration of his contract. Any such trade was complicated by a
gentlemen's agreement that former Blackhawks general manager
Stan Bowman had made with Fleury in convincing him not to retire, wherein he would not be traded without his consent. New general manager
Kyle Davidson stated that he intended to honour that arrangement.
Bill Guerin, the general manager of the Wild, was formerly a teammate of Fleury's on the Penguins. Fleury made his debut with the Wild in a March 26 game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, backstopping them to a 3–2 overtime victory. After the game a fan threw a bouquet of flowers on the ice, which Fleury stated that was the first time that has ever happened. Fleury recorded a 9–2–0 record with a .910 save percentage in 11 regular season games with the Wild. With Fleury in net the Wild initially took a 2–1 series lead, before losing the fourth and fifth games to face elimination in game six. Fleury was replaced by Talbot, but the Wild were eliminated by the Blues 4 games to 2. On July 7, 2022, Fleury opted to forgo
free agency and signed a two-year, $7 million contract extension to remain with the Wild. The Wild's decision to extend Fleury caused conflict with Talbot, who was subsequently traded to the
Ottawa Senators in exchange for
Filip Gustavsson. On October 30, Fleury earned his 62nd shootout win and became the leader in NHL career shootout wins when the Wild defeated the Blackhawks. Gustavsson would outperform Fleury for much of the middle of the season, leading to some speculation as to who would serve as the team's starter. Fleury acknowledged his difficulties, assessing he had "been in my head probably too much." His play improved as the Wild headed into March, embarking on a lengthy points streak. On December 31, 2023, Fleury played his
1,000th NHL game, becoming just the fourth goaltender to reach the mark. On January 15, 2024, Fleury became the second-winningest goaltender in NHL history after earning his 552nd win in the Wild's 5–0 victory against the
New York Islanders. On April 9, 2024, the Wild were eliminated from playoff contention, ending Fleury's 17-year playoff streak, as he had last missed the playoffs with Pittsburgh in
2006. On April 17, he signed a 1-year, $2.5 million extension with the Wild, stating he would retire at the end of the
2024–25 season. After a season-long retirement tour, Fleury played his last regular-season game on April 15, 2025; with the Wild having clinched a playoff berth by securing an overtime point, starting goaltender
Filip Gustavsson voluntarily exited the game, allowing Fleury to enter and make five saves in a 3–2 overtime victory for Minnesota, earning him his 575th career win. Fleury played his final NHL game in game five of the Wild's first-round playoff series against the Golden Knights on April 29, entering in relief of an ill Gustavsson in the third period and stopping six shots before allowing a game-winning goal to
Brett Howden four minutes into the extra period. Fleury's appearance in game five marked the 18th playoff appearance of his career, setting a new record among goaltenders for playoff seasons, and surpassing the record previously jointly held by
Martin Brodeur,
Patrick Roy, and himself. The Wild were eliminated with a 3–2 loss in game six, with Fleury receiving a celebratory send-off from both teams and Wild fans in the
Xcel Energy Center. Fleury was a finalist for the
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded by the
Professional Hockey Writers' Association to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey."
Return to Pittsburgh and retirement (2025) Despite retiring upon the conclusion of the
2024–25 season, on July 1, 2025, the opening day of NHL free agency, five teams called Fleury's representation with one-year contract offers to play in the
2025–26 season. On September 12, the Penguins announced Fleury's return on a
professional tryout contract for the 2025–26 preseason, with Fleury intending only to play in the team's September 27 preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Fleury played during the third period and stopped all eight Blue Jackets shots; despite the Penguins' 4–1 regulation victory, a ceremonial shootout followed, where he made two of three saves. ==International play==