Marc-André Fleury Brings Back Classic Penguins Rituals During Memorable Return

Marc-André Fleury's Pittsburgh goodbye wouldn't have been complete without some good old-fashioned belly laughs. True to form, the veteran Penguins goaltender returned not only with memories but also with his trademark pranks.

Players told agent Allan Walsh that pre-game traditions continued right away with Fleury being a part of them, from stick taps to pad slaps, blocker taps, and even head butts before getting on the ice. Time was reversed, it seemed.

Of course, Fleury's stunts didn't stop there. Friday, while his teammates did their workout, he stickered their cars with No. 29 and flower stickers. For a man with two decades of innocent fun in his past, the surprise brought more smiles than gasps.

Sidney Crosby even joked about keeping the "new look," terming it subdued compared to what Fleury did in the past, who once filled conditioning coach Mike Kadar's car with packing peanuts.

Fleury had retired following the end of last season but returned Saturday to skate through one more period, and a shootout, at PPG Paints Arena.

Fans greeted him with ovations on their feet, not just for a Hall of Fame on-ice career, but for a personality that endeared him to everyone.

Ultimately, Fleury provided Pittsburgh with everything they had come to know about him: excellent goaltending, a lot of humor, and a final night of Flower magic.