Core Four Pose Pregame: Fleury, Crosby, Malkin, Letang Once More

The Pittsburgh Penguins championship core began not with the fortuitous 2005 draft lottery win which netted them Sidney Crosby. Nor did it begin with losing the 2004 lottery and getting second overall pick Evgeni Malkin. No, the Penguins championship core began with a slick draft day trade up to the No. 1 pick in 2003 to select goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

In hockey years, 2003 was a lifetime ago, but the Penguins lept past touted prospects Eric Staal and Nathan Horton to select Fleury. Former GM Craig Patrick believed in building the team from the back. Defensemen Brooks Orpik and Ryan Whitney were the previous first-rounders.

Fleury was fresh from a national flub. As the Team Canada goalie in the World Junior Championships, Fleury gaffes allowed Team USA to rally from three goal deficit to capture the gold medal.

Then Penguins coach Ed Olczyk promised that one day, all would look back and laugh. True, 21 years later, it is indeed a humorous footnote in Fleury’s Hall of Fame career.

Fleury is the second all-time winningest NHL goalie ever with 562 wins. He has three Stanley Cup rings and the adoration of a few fan bases, from Pittsburgh to Vegas and now Minnesota.

Prior to the game Tuesday, which is most likely Fleury’s last in Pittsburgh before his retirement after this season, Fleury, Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang–the fourth member of the core–posed for a picture at center ice.

Due to broadcast restrictions, Pittsburgh Hockey Now cannot show the ovation Fleury received when he led Minnesota onto the ice for warmup, but the Penguins X account released the photo of the four.

Fleury played the first 13 years of his career with the Penguins.

Au revoir, Flower.