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Marc-André Fleury Effect: The Penguins Legend Who Sparked a Goalie Craze in Pittsburgh
When the Penguins enjoyed a golden era with three Stanley Cups in eight years with Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh experienced a youth hockey boom in the city.
Grant Watson was just six years old when watching Pittsburgh Penguins games with his dad became a regular routine.
Whereas most children would have admired Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin, Grant found all the excitement in the lively French Canadian netman who kissed posts, harassed opponents, and pulled off dazzling stops with a smile: Marc-Andre Fleury.
Compelling interest quickly developed into a desire to wear goalie gear, much to dad's chagrin.
Ten years on, Watson is still in between pipes. At 17, he backstopped Fox Chapel to the PIHL Class 2A Penguins Cup championship last March. He also confesses he may never have been drawn to the crease without the influence of Fleury.
"Growing up, watching Fleury play, it was really big. His pads, his acrobatic style of play, the way he talked to his teammates, all of those things just kind of hooked me," Watson said. "And all of those things kind of shaped the way that I play now."
Fleury's influence extended way beyond the Penguin locker room. Throughout the team's golden era, three Stanley Cups in eight years, youth hockey ballooned in Western Pennsylvania.
Hockey Registration Among Youths Doubled in Pennsylvania Over Marc-Andre Fleury's Career
Since 2005, youth player participation under age 10 has almost doubled, and tens of thousands of kids like Watson were encouraged to play like the Flower's individual brand of hockey.
"It's not just Grant. I feel like lots of kids were inspired by Fleury," Jim Watson said. "As a coach in that timeframe, seeing those 8U kids, I feel a lot of them were turned on to playing goalie because of Fleury. I think he made playing goalie seem cool."
On Saturday, those same fans will watch Fleury return to PPG Paints Arena for one last special moment.
Recently retired, he'll suit up for a period in the Penguins' preseason game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, a fitting tribute to the franchise's all-time wins leader and one of Pittsburgh's most beloved athletes.
From his legendary Cup-clinching 2009 save to his contribution to the back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017, Fleury solidified his name in team lore.
But maybe equally significant is the way in which he inspired a generation of youngsters to lace on the pads, grin through the heat, and fall in love with the goaltending art form.
Fleury's exit is more than a celebration of his career but also a reminder of how a single player's presence can change the direction of a city's team.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 27 | 95 ANSWERS Marc-André Fleury Effect: The Penguins Legend Who Sparked a Goalie Craze in Pittsburgh Was Marc-Andre Fleury the most influential hockey individual in the city of Pittsburgh? | ||
| Yes | 52 | 54.7 % |
| No | 43 | 45.3 % |
| List of polls | ||