Guide Note

Marc-Andre Fleury was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first round of the 2003 National Hockey League entry draft to become the second goalie in NHL history to be selected first overall.

Fast Facts

1. Birth date: November 28, 1984
2. Birth place: Sorel, Quebec
3. Jersey number: 29
4. Voted Tournament MVP and top goaltender at the 2003 World Juniors
5. Two silver medals in the World Junior Championships
6. Briefly lived with Mario Lemieux
7. E.F.G.T. on his helmet is in memory of his late grandparents

Fleury played 21 games with the Penguins during the 2003-2004 season and recorded his first NHL shutout on October 30, 2003. He split the rest of the season with fellow Pittsburgh net minders Jean-Sébastien Aubin and Sébastien Caron, but struggled along with the team due to poor defense.

During the 2004-2005 NHL labor dispute, Fleury played with the Penguins' American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and began the following season with them. In late November, he was called up to play the rest of the season in Pittsburgh. Although the team fared poorly, again due to their poor defensive line, Fleury did relatively well and earned a better save percentage than either of the team's other two goalies. His performance impressed the Penguins' management, who signed him to a two year contract worth $2.59 million.

In April of 2007, Fleury became the second Penguins goalie to win 40 games in a season. On a team that has struggled with defense for many years, Fleury has been instrumental in the Penguins' reaching the Eastern Conference finals in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs.