Marc-Andre Fleury pondered his NHL future after being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, but the veteran goalie has made it clear that the reason had nothing to do with his new team.
"I never had anything against Chicago, the organization," Fleury said, according to NHL.com's Tracey Myers. "It was just me personally, what I wanted to do. I've talked to a bunch of guys, and I keep hearing so many great things about the team, how they treat players and families.
"I thought Stan (Bowman) did a great job to gain some players over the summer, trying to make this team competitive right away, and that's also very appealing."
The Vegas Golden Knights dealt Fleury to the Blackhawks in late July in exchange for minor-league forward Mikael Hakkarainen. Fleury has one year remaining on his current contract with a $7-million cap hit.
When the trade news broke, Fleury's agent Allan Walsh said the goalie would take some time to think about his playing future. On Sunday, Chicago confirmed Fleury would indeed suit up for the upcoming season.
The 36-year-old indicated he's grateful to general manager Stan Bowman for giving him a considerable amount of time to make the decision.
"There's a lot that goes into it," Fleury said. "I was very fortunate that Stan gave me some time to reflect on what I wanted to do, what was best for me and my family."
The three-time Stanley Cup champion is one of several additions to the Blackhawks' lineup this offseason. Fleury's set to join newcomers Seth Jones, Caleb Jones, Tyler Johnson, and Jake McCabe.
Fleury put together one of the best campaigns of his NHL career with the Golden Knights this year, taking home the Vezina Trophy as the league's top netminder. He posted a .928 save percentage and 1.98 goals against average while recording six shutouts over only 36 games.
