A Stanley Cup champion with Cape Breton ties has been inducted into the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Hall of Fame. Former NHLer and Cape Breton Eagle Marc-André Fleury was one of five people inducted in a ceremony Wednesday night in Quebec City. “A couple of things made me love my time in Nova Scotia – my love for the game and the Hawkins (his billet family),” said Fleury in his speech Wednesday night, with his billet family in attendance. Fleury says his billet family allowed him to “just be a kid” and even spoiled him. “They even loaned me a car once they helped me get my license. But one night I went to get burgers for the family and then when I got home, I backed up into the garage door and left a pretty good dent,” he said. “I felt pretty ashamed and awful about that. I went inside worried about their reaction and thinking Bob was going to be pretty mad at me. But then he asked, ‘Are the burgers ok?’ just to make me feel better.” Fleury got emotional when he spoke directly to the family. “I will always feel in your debt for the way you took care of me and took me into your family. Thank you guys,” he said as he choked back tears. Fleury was drafted by the then Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in 2000. He played for the team throughout four seasons, earning accolades such as the QMJHL’s Defensive Player of the Year and Top Prospect. Beloved by Cape Breton fans, Fleury’s number 29 jersey was retired in 2008. Paul MacDonald, the general manager of Sydney’s Centre 200, remembers when Fleury first came to Cape Breton at the age of 15. This summer, the NHL legend returned to the Island and brought his family to rink where he played as a teen. “His kids had never been here. This was the first time they had been in Cape Breton and they got to see where his junior career began. They saw Dad’s number in the rafters, and it meant a lot to him,” said MacDonald. Dominic Noel played with Fleury in Cape Breton for two seasons. In more recent years, he has visited his friend in NHL cities. He says Fleury remains a humble guy. “What you see on TV is what you get. That’s how genuine, such a nice guy and thoughtful of other people,” said Noel. Selected first-overall in the 2003 National Hockey League draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Fleury won three Stanley Cups with the team. He went on to play with the Vegas Golden Knights, Chicago Blackhawks, and Minnesota Wild. Fleury played more than 1,000 NHL games and was awarded the Vezina Trophy and the William M. Jennings Trophy. Fleury also found success on the international stage, taking home two silver medals at the IIHF Junior World Championship and getting the nod for Top Goaltender and tournament MVP in 2003. He took home a gold medal in 2010 when he made his Olympic debut in Vancouver. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
