Fleury's Uphill Road to Redemption

Everyone loves a comeback story. It’s what this nation was built on. From the Revolutionary War, to the Miracle on Ice, to Britney Spears, we just can’t seem to get enough. So naturally, I got excited when rumor arose of a Theo Fleury comeback.

Sure, it’s been six years since we last saw him in an NHL arena, but I can’t help but be curious as to what would result. Would he be the same Theo who started the "Punch-up in Piestany?"  Does he still have it in him to produce a Gordie Howe hat trick every night?  Conventional wisdom gives a resounding “no” to each of these questions, but in such cases, I like to err on the side of giddy, child-like optimism.

Obviously, there are some pretty huge bumps in this road back to the promised land.  How quickly can he shake the rust that has built up over that six-year layoff?  Is there a team out there willing to take a chance and give him an honest tryout, as opposed to just bringing him in for the publicity? Last, but not least, he’s 41! A huge hurdle in and of itself.

Taking a look at all of the recent players over 40 in the league over the past few years, all but one have been disappointing, to say the least.  Dominic Hasek had the best success. He led the Red Wings to one Conference Final, and split time with Chris Osgood en route to a Stanley Cup championship. After turning 40, Hasek became more injury prone. In the last three seasons before his second retirement, he missed a combined 146 games. 

When the Red Wings signed Chris Chelios in 1999, they really only expected the 37-year-old to provide leadership and experience to a young defensive corps.  After turning 40 in 2002-03, Chris Chelios was lucky to be on the Red Wings’ roster to begin with, and found little playing time in meaningful games.  Being surrounded by highly skilled players and not having nearly the amount of responsibility as in years past, he was able to prolong his career for another three seasons.  But in the past seven years, he never accumulated more than 25 points in a season, and only played in more than 70 games twice. This past season, the Wings finally decided to cut ties with the 12-time All-Star.  At age 47, he is still looking for a team to sign with.

Claude Lemieux attempted a comeback last season at age 43.  He played in 18 games, notched a single point, then re-retired this offseason. 

What does that tell us then?  Should Fleury make it through camp and earn a roster spot, we could only expect him to put up role player-type numbers at best.  We have yet to see what he may have lost in terms of playmaking, but if there’s one thing I’m sure he’s held onto, it’s the physical game. As a coach, I’d put him on my checking line any day of the week.  Few things give me more satisfaction than watching the 5’6” Fleury lay out anyone and everyone on the ice. There’s just something about watching someone prove the “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog” adage right.

Early reports from Calgary’s camp have been encouraging.  Current linemate Daymond Langkow admits “he definitely hasn’t lost his hands. He has the same hands he’s had his whole career.”

So, as training camps open up all over the league, I’ll be keeping a close eye on Calgary. I wouldn’t count Fleury out at any point, even if he is pushing 287 in dog years.