Theoren Fleury
Encyclopedia
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury (born June 29, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey
player for the Calgary Flames
, Colorado Avalanche
, New York Rangers
, and Chicago Blackhawks
of the National Hockey League
(NHL), Tappara
of Finland
's SM-liiga
, and the Belfast Giants
of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League
. He was drafted by the Flames in the 8th round, 166th overall, at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
, and played over 1,000 games in the NHL between 1989 and 2003.
One of the smallest players of his generation, Fleury played a physical style that often led to altercations. As a junior
, he was at the centre of the infamous Punch-up in Piestany
, a brawl that resulted in the disqualification of both Canada and the Soviet Union
from the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
. Once considered unlikely to play in the NHL due to his small size, Fleury scored over 1,000 points in his career and won the Stanley Cup
in 1989
with the Flames. He twice represented Canada at the Winter Olympics, winning a gold medal in 2002
. Throughout his career, he battled drug and alcohol addiction
s that ultimately forced him out of the NHL in 2003, when he was only 35 years old. He played one successful season in the British Elite Ice Hockey League in 2005–06, and made two attempts to win the Allan Cup
. After an unsuccessful NHL comeback attempt with the Flames, he retired in 2009.
Outside of hockey, Fleury overcame his addictions, operated a concrete business in Calgary with his family, and filmed a pilot
for a reality television
show based around it. He marketed his own brand of clothing, which led him to play two professional baseball
games for the Calgary Vipers
of the Golden Baseball League
. In 1995, he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease
, and his annual charity golf tournament has helped raise more than $1 million for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada.
Fleury co-wrote Playing with Fire
, an autobiography
released in October 2009, in which he made allegations that he had been sexually abused by former coach Graham James. The book became a best-seller in Canada. The increased interest in Fleury's story also led to further police action against James, who had disappeared from Canada. James was found living in Guadalajara
, Mexico
, in early 2010 by a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
investigative reporter. James was taken into custody when he returned to Canada on October 25, 2010, and is now awaiting legal proceedings on nine counts of sexual assault
. Fleury has since become an advocate
for sexual abuse victims, and has developed a career as a public speaker.
, Canada, the first of Wally and Donna Fleury's three sons. Wally was a hockey player whose dreams of a professional career ended when he broke his leg playing baseball in the summer of 1963; the injury helped fuel a drinking problem. Donna was a quiet, religious woman who battled drug addiction for many years. Fleury is of Métis
heritage, as his grandmother Mary was Cree
. The Fleurys lived in Williams Lake, British Columbia
, for four years, a period that saw Theo's brother Ted born in 1970, before settling in Russell, Manitoba
, by 1973, the year his youngest brother Travis was born. Wally worked as a truck driver and maintenance worker at the arena in Russell.
Always one of the smallest children in his class and without stable supervision at home, Fleury adopted an aggressive posture and later described himself as a bully. He turned to hockey as an outlet when he borrowed an old pair of skates and a broken stick to play his first game at the age of five. From that point on, he played hockey at every opportunity, often accompanying his father to the arena in Russell in the pre-dawn hours. He was described by his teachers as a determined youth, who would repeat any activity he failed at until he got it right.
Although his mother was a Jehovah's Witness
, Fleury was raised as a Roman Catholic. He attended mass from age 6 to 12, serving as an altar boy until the church's priest died of a heart attack, depriving Fleury of one of his earliest positive influences. Always lacking money and a stable home, Fleury received support from the community, in particular the Peltz family in Russell, who ensured that he and his brothers were fed and bought them new clothes when required. In January 1982, Fleury's dreams of playing in the NHL nearly ended at the age of 13 when, during a game, he suffered a deep cut under his arm that severed his brachial artery
. He missed nearly a year of contact hockey as a result. Five months after the incident, the community raised money to send him to the Andy Murray Hockey School in Brandon, Manitoba
. It was there that Fleury met Graham James, who was working as a scout for the Winnipeg Warriors
of the Western Hockey League
(WHL). James told Fleury that he had the skill to play in the NHL despite his size, and promised to recruit him to play junior hockey for the Warriors when he was old enough.
of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League
, scoring 33 goals
and 64 points
in 22 games, an incredible pace of nearly three points per game. In 1984–85 he moved to the Moose Jaw Warriors
, who had just relocated from Winnipeg
, scoring 29 goals and 75 points in 71 games as a 16-year-old. He improved his totals in each of his four years in the WHL, culminating with a 68-goal, 92-assist
season in 1987–88. Fleury's 160 points tied him for the league lead with Joe Sakic
, and the two players shared the Bob Clarke Trophy
as the WHL's top scorers. Fleury's 92 assists and 160 points remain team records; he also holds the Warriors' career records for goals (201), assists (271) and points (472). , he remains 10th all-time in WHL scoring.
Always one of the smallest players in the game, Fleury learned early that he had to play an unpredictable style of game to survive against players much larger than he was. He found that the best way to protect himself was to intimidate his opponents by playing a feisty, physical game, which he said led to many retaliatory penalties and several arguments with his coaches. He recorded 235 penalties in minutes
in his final year of junior, nearly 100 more than any of the other top 10 WHL scorers. Fleury retained this style of play throughout his hockey career, routinely surprising opponents who felt their size was an advantage.
Fleury twice represented Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. He first joined the team for the 1987 tournament
in Piešťany
, Czechoslovakia
. The tournament is best remembered for the "Punch-up in Piestany
" on January 4, 1987, an infamous bench-clearing brawl
between the Canadians and the Soviet Union. Fleury scored the first goal of the game and, as part of his celebration, used his stick to mimic firing a machine gun
at the Soviet bench, a move that was criticized by Canadian officials. The brawl began early in the second period with Canada leading 4–2, when Pavel Kostichkin slashed Fleury, leading to a fight between the two. It quickly escalated into a line brawl involving all skaters on the ice, after which the Soviet players left their bench, followed closely by the Canadians. Both teams were disqualified from the tournament, costing Fleury and the Canadians a medal -– potentially the gold.
The International Ice Hockey Federation
suspended all players involved in the brawl from participating in international tournaments for 18 months, though the bans were later reduced to 6 months on appeal. This reduction allowed Fleury to participate in the 1988 tournament
in Moscow
. He was named captain, finished second in team scoring with eight points in seven games, and was named a tournament all-star as Canada won the gold medal.
Although he scored 129 points for the Warriors in 1986–87, Fleury's small stature led many teams to doubt that he could play in the NHL. The Calgary Flames
drafted him in the 8th round, 166th overall, of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
. Upon completing his junior season in 1988, Fleury signed his first professional contract, worth C$
415,000, and joined the Flames' International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles
. He scored seven points in two regular season games, then 16 more in eight playoff games as the Eagles won the Turner Cup
championship.
two nights later and recorded his first points – three assists – on January 5 against the Los Angeles Kings
. He scored his first two NHL goals in a 7–2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers
on January 7. Fleury continued to score, and finished with 34 points in 36 games in his NHL rookie season. He added 11 points in the playoffs, helping the Flames to the first Stanley Cup
championship in franchise history.
After improving to 33 goals in his first full season, Fleury broke out in 1990–91, scoring 51 goals and 104 points to lead the Flames offensively. He played in the 1991 All-Star Game
, scoring a goal in an 11–5 victory by the Campbell Conference over the Wales Conference. Towards the end of the season, Fleury set a league record by scoring three shorthanded goals
in one game against the St. Louis Blues. He shared the NHL Plus-Minus Award with Marty McSorley
, whom he tied for the league lead with +48. Fleury scored only two goals in the 1991 Stanley Cup Playoffs
, but after his overtime winner in game six against the Oilers he famously slid the entire length of the ice in jubilation before crashing into the boards as his teammates attempted to catch up to him. The Flames were defeated in game seven, which ended their season.
Fleury fell back to 33 goals in 1991–92 as the Flames missed the playoffs. That season, he made his second All-Star Game
appearance, recording a goal for the Campbell Conference. Fleury finished with over 100 points for the second time in his career in 1992–93 to lead the team in scoring, and set a franchise record by going +9 in a 13–1 victory over the San Jose Sharks
on February 10, 1993, in which he scored six points.
The 1994–95 NHL lockout reduced the season to 48 games from 84. During the lockout, Fleury played for Tappara
in Finland
's top league, the SM-liiga
. He recorded 17 points in ten games before the NHL's labour dispute was resolved, bringing him back to Calgary. Late in the season, Fleury recorded two goals and an assist against the Oilers on March 31, 1995, to surpass 500 career points.
Lacking a contract prior to the 1995–96 season, Fleury staged a brief hold-out during training camp before signing a five-year, $12 million deal with the Flames. He agreed to take less money than he could have received on the open market out of loyalty to the franchise that had given him his NHL opportunity. He missed much of the pre-season with a stomach ailment, but joined the team for the season opener. Although he felt like somebody was "stabbing a knife in [his] gut every five minutes", Fleury had played every game for the Flames when he revealed in December 1995 that he had been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease
and doctors had finally found the correct medication to control it. Despite the ailment, Fleury led the team in goals, assists and points, and played in his third All-Star Game, serving as Calgary's only representative.
When Joe Nieuwendyk
refused to report to the Flames prior to the 1995 season, they named Fleury interim captain
. The title was made permanent when Nieuwendyk was traded in December. Fleury was reluctant to assume the captaincy, but did so out of loyalty to the team and because there was nobody else capable of taking on the role. He relinquished it two seasons later after deciding that it was harming his play and affecting his relationship with his teammates and coach Pierre Pagé
.
The Flames struggled in 1996–97, finishing last in the Pacific Division
and missing the playoffs for only the second time since their arrival in Calgary in 1980. Fleury again led the team in scoring, but his 29 goals were the fewest he had scored in a full season in the NHL. He was the Flames' lone representative at the 1997 All-Star Game
. He scored only 27 goals in 1997–98, but increased his point total from 67 to 78 while also leading the team with 197 penalties in minutes
. On November 29, 1997, Fleury scored his 315th career goal, breaking Nieuwendyk's franchise record. The same day, he was named to Team Canada for the 1998 Winter Olympics
. Fleury participated in his fifth All-Star Game
that season, but the Flames again missed the playoffs.
On February 19, 1999, he surpassed Al MacInnis
as the franchise scoring leader with his 823rd career point. He held the record for ten years until surpassed by Jarome Iginla
in 2009. The Flames, who had been struggling financially and were unable to sign Fleury to a new contract, chose to trade him less than two weeks after he broke the record rather than risk losing him to free agency
. He was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche
on February 28 for René Corbet
, Wade Belak
and Robyn Regehr
. Although it was expected to a certain extent, the trade nonetheless stunned fans in Calgary. His popularity was such that during a game in 1999, after Fleury was sent off the ice to change a bloody jersey, a fan threw his own souvenir jersey over the boards so that Fleury would not miss a shift. He put the jersey on before realizing it was autographed and handed it back.
The trade was viewed as another sign that small-market Canadian teams could no longer compete in the NHL. The economics of hockey had changed such that the Flames felt that they had to deal their top player despite being just two points out of a playoff spot. Following the trade, Fleury said that any team looking to sign him to a new contract would have to pay him $7 million per year. In his autobiography, Playing with Fire, Fleury claims that he was offered $16 million over four years by the Flames before the trade, and countered with an offer of $25 million over five years.
in the Western Conference Finals
.
The Avalanche chose not to re-sign Fleury, and he joined the New York Rangers
on a three-year contract worth $21 million that included a club option for a fourth year at $7 million. He touched off a wave of anger on signing with the Rangers when he claimed he was unappreciated in Calgary, comments he later stated were directed at the Flames' owners and not the team's fans, whom he said always supported him. Fleury's first year in Manhattan
was a disappointment. He scored only 15 goals in 1999–2000, struggling under the pressure of trying to lead the Rangers into the playoffs and adapting to life in New York
. After the season, he voluntarily entered a league-operated program that treats substance abuse and emotional problems, though he denied that either had any effect on his play.
Fleury rebounded to score 30 goals in 2000–01 and participated in his seventh All-Star Game
. He scored his 400th NHL goal on November 4, 2000, in a 5–2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens
. Fleury was leading his team, and was fourth in the league, with 74 points in 62 games, when the Rangers announced that he had again entered the league's substance abuse program. The decision ended his season.
Prior to the 2001–02 season Fleury said that he continued to struggle with substance abuse and had difficulty adapting to life in Manhattan after growing up in a Canadian prairie town of 1,500. He played all 82 games in 2001–02, but his problems affected his behavior on the ice. After receiving a major and game misconduct penalty in a game against the San Jose Sharks on December 28, he wound up in a confrontation with the Sharks' mascot, S.J. Sharkie, in a hallway of the HP Pavilion, reportedly breaking the rib of the mascot portrayer. Fleury himself later downplayed the incident, saying that he "nudged" Sharkie. Upon taking a penalty in a January 2002 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins
, Fleury left the arena rather than skate to the penalty box. He later apologized to his teammates, claiming he was deeply stressed by family problems. Two weeks later, he was fined $1,000 for making an obscene gesture to fans of the New York Islanders
who had been taunting him over his drug use. Towards the end of February, he lashed out against the league's officials. He claimed they were not judging him fairly, and threatened to retire. The league dismissed his complaints. He did achieve a personal milestone during the season, however: on October 27, 2001, Fleury assisted on a goal by Mike York
, scoring the 1,000th point of his NHL career. The Rangers presented him with a silver stick in honour of the achievement.
Following the season, the Rangers did not exercise their option
, and traded Fleury's playing rights to the San Jose Sharks
, which entitled the Sharks to a compensatory draft pick if Fleury signed elsewhere. He did so with a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks
. Two days prior to the opening of the 2002–03 season, he was suspended by the NHL for violating the terms of the league's substance abuse program. The Blackhawks hired one of Fleury's friends, also a recovering alcoholic, to ensure that he attended Alcoholics Anonymous
meetings and abided by the terms of the NHL's aftercare program.
Fleury missed the first two months of the season before being reinstated. While out with teammates in January 2003, he was involved in a drunken brawl with bouncers at a strip club in Columbus, Ohio
, that left him bloodied; he has no memory of the night and described it as among the lowest points of his life. He was not suspended, but the incident contributed to a collapse in the standings by the Blackhawks, and they placed him on waiver
s in March. No team claimed him, and Fleury finished the season with the Blackhawks, recording 12 goals and 21 assists in 54 games. Following the season, in April 2003, he was suspended again by the league for violations of its substance abuse program. The suspension ended his NHL career.
, Sasha Lakovic
and Dody Wood
in playing for the Horse Lake Thunder
of the North Peace Hockey League
for the Allan Cup
, Canada's national senior amateur championship. He also hoped to serve as a role model for kids on the Horse Lake First Nation
. Hockey Alberta
initially ruled that he was ineligible to play senior hockey
in 2004–05 because he had been signed to a professional contract during the 2003–04 season. Hockey Alberta denied an appeal, citing a new policy it had put in effect to prevent NHL players from joining senior teams during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. It reversed its decision on a second appeal after the NHL and National Hockey League Players Association both agreed that Fleury was a free agent, and not a locked-out player. Fleury played his first game for the Thunder on January 22, 2005, scoring a goal and two assists.
Fleury remained embroiled in controversy at the 2005 Allan Cup
tournament. The Thunder were repeatedly accused of paying players despite being an amateur team, and Fleury angrily denied rumours that he was secretly being paid $100,000. Tournament fans were extremely hostile towards the Thunder, and after it was eliminated in the semi-finals Fleury accused them of racism and threatened to return his 2002 Olympic gold medal: "The one thing that's really bothered me through this whole thing is the prejudice, still, in this country when it comes to native people. I've seen it first-hand in every building we go into, how these people are treated, and it's absolutely embarrassing to be a Canadian and know that stuff is still going on."
Fleury was convinced by a friend to move to Northern Ireland
to play with the Belfast Giants
of the Elite Ice Hockey League
(EIHL) for the 2005–06 season. He scored three goals
and added four assists and a fight in his first game, against the Edinburgh Capitals
. He scored 22 goals and 52 assists in 34 games, as Belfast won the regular season league title. Described as the "most talented" player ever to play in the United Kingdom, Fleury was named the EIHL's Player of the Year
and voted a first team All-Star
by the British Ice Hockey Writers Association
. Fleury argued with visiting fans, as well as officials, which led him not to return to Belfast in 2006–07.
In late 2008, Fleury joined his brother Ted with the Steinbach North Stars
in a second bid to win the Allan Cup. He played 13 league games, scoring eight goals and 19 assists. At the 2009 Allan Cup
tournament, he recorded a goal and an assist to lead the host North Stars to a 5–0 win in their opening game, and finished tied for the lead in tournament scoring at seven points. The North Stars lost the semi-finals to the South East Prairie Thunder, 4–2.
to lift his suspension. He was reinstated on September 10 following a meeting with Bettman, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly
and league doctors. Fleury then accepted a try-out offer from the Flames. He said he wanted to prove to himself that he could still play at the NHL level, though his skeptics pointed to his child support payments and the failure of his concrete business, as well as the planned release of his autobiography, and argued Fleury's comeback was financially motivated.
He made his return to the NHL in an exhibition game in Calgary against the New York Islanders
on September 17 on a line with Daymond Langkow
and Nigel Dawes
. Fleury was met with loud cheers throughout the game, and scored the only goal in a shootout
to give the Flames a 5–4 win. After the game, he saluted the crowd as the fans chanted "Theo! Theo! Theo!" Three nights later, he scored a goal and an assist in a 5–2 victory over the Florida Panthers
.
Fleury played four exhibition games, scoring four points, before being released by the Flames. General Manager Darryl Sutter
expressed his pride in Fleury's attempt and commended his effort, but decided he was not one of the top six wingers in camp, which Sutter and Fleury had agreed was a condition of the tryout continuing. On September 28, 2009, Fleury announced his retirement at a news conference at the Saddledome
. He thanked the Flames for allowing him to attempt the comeback, and expressed satisfaction at how his career ended. "I get to retire a Calgary Flame. I HAD to retire a Calgary Flame. It’s been a long journey. It’s time to put down some roots. And there’s no better place than here," said Fleury of his decision not to seek an offer from another team.
, scoring 11 points in nine games for the fourth-place Canadians. He returned the following year despite a knee injury, helping Canada win the silver medal at the 1991 tournament
. His 51-goal NHL season in 1990–91 also earned Fleury a spot at the 1991 Canada Cup
, where he scored a goal and four assists in seven games for the tournament champion Canadians. Five years later, he played in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey
, the successor to the Canada Cup
. He finished fourth in the tournament with four goals, but Canada finished in second place after giving up four goals in the final four minutes of the championship game against the American team.
National Hockey League players were first allowed to participate in the Olympic ice hockey tournament at the 1998 games
. Invited to join Canada's "Dream Team", Fleury described his selection as a highlight of his life. He scored a goal for Canada, who lost their semi-final match-up against the Czech Republic in a shootout and failed to medal. Four years later, Fleury was invited by General Manager Wayne Gretzky
to participate in Canada's selection camp for the 2002 Olympics
. The invitation was controversial, as his behavioural and substance abuse issues had become increasingly public in previous months. Fleury wanted to justify Gretzky's support and, knowing that he would be removed from consideration if he failed, refrained from drinking or taking drugs during the 2001–02 NHL season, later describing himself as a "dry drunk". He earned a spot on the team and recorded two assists in six games as the Canadian hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years. Fleury considers the championship to be the pinnacle of his career.
Fleury continued to battle drug and alcohol addictions, revealing in a November 2004 interview that he had not overcome the problems that ended his NHL career a year and a half earlier. He credits his second wife, Jennifer, with turning his life around after they met when he was playing for Horse Lake in 2005. Fleury feared that Jennifer's frustration with his drug use would cost him the relationship, and, with her help, quit drugs and drinking on September 18, 2005. They were married one year later and have a daughter, Skylah. Fleury also has a son and daughter, Beaux and Tatym, from his relationship with his first wife, Veronica, and a son, Josh, born in 1987 to his high school girlfriend, Shannon.
In 1994, Fleury joined a group that involved his former junior coach, Graham James, fellow NHL player Joe Sakic
, and professional wrestler Bret Hart
as a minority owner of the expansion Calgary Hitmen
of the Western Hockey League
. He sold his share of the team to the Flames in 1997 in the aftermath of James' conviction for sexually abusing Sheldon Kennedy
and another player. After returning from Northern Ireland, he operated Fleury's Concrete Coatings, a concrete sealing business he started with his wife Jennifer and brother Travis, until it closed in 2009. He filmed a pilot episode in 2007 for a Reality TV series based on his concrete business called Theoren Fleury: Rock Solid: "We want to show people that if you have a dream, anything is possible with a little ambition," Fleury said of the show. It was not picked up by any network.
The 2008 launch of clothing line "FAKE" (Fleury's Artistic Kustom Enterprises) led him to approach the Calgary Vipers
of the Golden Baseball League
in the hope of convincing them to use his brand of practice jerseys. The conversation led to talk of Fleury playing a game for the Vipers as a publicity stunt. He made his professional baseball debut on August 9, 2008, at the age of 40, hitting a single
in a pinch-hit
appearance against the Yuma Scorpions
. He started the second game at left field
and struck out
twice before he was replaced. "I've had so many things happen in my life already that I sometimes surprise myself with the things I've done, the things I've accomplished. This was just another one of those days," Fleury said of his appearance with the Vipers.
Fleury has organized or participated in numerous charitable causes. He launched a hockey school in the mid-1990s that ran for seven years in Calgary and another eight in Russell, and donated the proceeds to minor hockey associations. Following his diagnosis with Crohn's Disease
in 1995, Fleury joined with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada to host an annual golf tournament in Calgary. The event has raised over $1 million, and is one of the organization's largest fundraising events in the Calgary area. He participates in Flames Alumni events and volunteers with the Calgary Dream Centre, which helps people overcome addiction.
Fleury was a participant on the second season of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
figure skating
reality show Battle of the Blades
, aired in the fall of 2010, and was donating his winnings to The Men's Project, a charity that provides support for men abused in childhood. His partner was Jamie Salé
and the pair finished 5th.
, Playing with Fire
, which was released on October 16, 2009. In it, he alleged that he was sexually abused by Graham James over a period of two years. While he stated he "doesn't want to become the poster boy for abuse by James", Fleury hoped that speaking out might make it easier for other childhood sexual abuse victims to come forward. He blamed the abuse for turning him into a "raging, alcoholic lunatic", and claimed to have placed a loaded gun in his mouth and contemplated suicide in 2004. He revealed that he had spent most of his income on alcohol, drugs, gambling and women. Fleury also claimed that he failed 13 consecutive drug tests while playing for the Rangers, but that the league did not want to suspend him because he was a leading scorer. The league disputed this, and stated that its substance abuse program functioned appropriately.
Playing with Fire became the top seller on Amazon.ca
within a week of its release, and Fleury stated that he had been contacted by several sexual abuse victims who were motivated by his book to seek help. He also revealed that he was contemplating a criminal complaint against James, and had begun volunteering with an organization dedicated to helping male sexual abuse victims. Fleury was surprised that his story became the top-selling non-fiction book in Canada; without help, he and his wife were unable to keep up with the mail they were receiving. It is the second book about Fleury's life, following Fury, released in 1997, which did not discuss many of the problems he was facing at the time.
Upon the release of the autobiography, Sheldon Kennedy
encouraged Fleury to press charges against James. Fleury retained a lawyer to look into the possibility, and revealed on January 14, 2010, that he had filed a complaint with City of Winnipeg
Police, who had begun an investigation. Fleury has also begun a career as a motivational speaker, with the hope that sharing his story will encourage others to seek help for their problems.
McLellan Day is adapting the autobiography into a one-man play, entitled Playing with Fire: The Theo Fleury Story, to be produced by Alberta Theatre Projects
in Calgary
, Alberta. The play will make its world premiere May 1, 2012.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player for the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
, Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, and Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL), Tappara
Tappara
Tappara is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Tampere, Finland at Tampereen jäähalli. The team have won 15 league championships ....
of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
, and the Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....
of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...
. He was drafted by the Flames in the 8th round, 166th overall, at the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
1987 NHL Entry Draft
The 1987 NHL Entry Draft was held at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1986–87 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players selected.-Selections...
, and played over 1,000 games in the NHL between 1989 and 2003.
One of the smallest players of his generation, Fleury played a physical style that often led to altercations. As a junior
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
, he was at the centre of the infamous Punch-up in Piestany
Punch-up in Piestany
The Punch-up in Piestany was an infamous bench-clearing brawl between Canada and the Soviet Union during the final game of the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Piešťany, Czechoslovakia on January 4, 1987...
, a brawl that resulted in the disqualification of both Canada and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
from the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 11th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Piešťany, Trenčín, Nitra, and Topoľčany, Czechoslovakia . Finland captured its first World Junior gold medal. Czechoslovakia captured the silver, and Sweden the bronze...
. Once considered unlikely to play in the NHL due to his small size, Fleury scored over 1,000 points in his career and won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 1989
1989 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1989 Stanley Cup Final was between the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens, the top two teams during the 1988–89 NHL regular season. , this is the most recent time that the first two seeds met in the Stanley Cup Final, as the New Jersey Devils had one win less than the Detroit Red Wings...
with the Flames. He twice represented Canada at the Winter Olympics, winning a gold medal in 2002
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
. Throughout his career, he battled drug and alcohol addiction
Addiction
Historically, addiction has been defined as physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances which cross the blood-brain barrier once ingested, temporarily altering the chemical milieu of the brain.Addiction can also be viewed as a continued involvement with a substance or activity...
s that ultimately forced him out of the NHL in 2003, when he was only 35 years old. He played one successful season in the British Elite Ice Hockey League in 2005–06, and made two attempts to win the Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
. After an unsuccessful NHL comeback attempt with the Flames, he retired in 2009.
Outside of hockey, Fleury overcame his addictions, operated a concrete business in Calgary with his family, and filmed a pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
for a reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
show based around it. He marketed his own brand of clothing, which led him to play two professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
games for the Calgary Vipers
Calgary Vipers
The Calgary Vipers were a professional baseball team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They were part of the Western Division of the independent North American League. The Vipers have played all of their home games at Foothills Stadium. Previously, the Vipers played in the Northern League from...
of the Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
. In 1995, he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
, and his annual charity golf tournament has helped raise more than $1 million for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada.
Fleury co-wrote Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire (Autobiography)
Playing with Fire is the best selling autobiography of former National Hockey League player Theoren Fleury. Co-written with author Kirstie McLellan Day, Fleury documented how he became a star player, Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist despite battling drug and alcohol addictions that...
, an autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
released in October 2009, in which he made allegations that he had been sexually abused by former coach Graham James. The book became a best-seller in Canada. The increased interest in Fleury's story also led to further police action against James, who had disappeared from Canada. James was found living in Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, in early 2010 by a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
investigative reporter. James was taken into custody when he returned to Canada on October 25, 2010, and is now awaiting legal proceedings on nine counts of sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
. Fleury has since become an advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
for sexual abuse victims, and has developed a career as a public speaker.
Early life
Fleury was born on June 29, 1968, in Oxbow, SaskatchewanOxbow, Saskatchewan
Oxbow is a Canadian town in the southeast of the province of Saskatchewan.-Basic information:According to the 2006 Canadian census, the town's population is 1,139; the town's area is 3.10 square km; and population density is 366.8 per square km....
, Canada, the first of Wally and Donna Fleury's three sons. Wally was a hockey player whose dreams of a professional career ended when he broke his leg playing baseball in the summer of 1963; the injury helped fuel a drinking problem. Donna was a quiet, religious woman who battled drug addiction for many years. Fleury is of Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
heritage, as his grandmother Mary was Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
. The Fleurys lived in Williams Lake, British Columbia
Williams Lake, British Columbia
Williams Lake, is a city in the Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the central part of a region known as the Cariboo, it is the largest urban centre between Kamloops and Prince George, with a population of 11,150 in city limits....
, for four years, a period that saw Theo's brother Ted born in 1970, before settling in Russell, Manitoba
Russell, Manitoba
Russell is a town of 1,428 located in southwestern Manitoba, Canada, in the Rural Municipality of Russell. The town of Russell is located along Highway 16 and Highway 83, and is at the western terminus of Highway 45. Russell is approximately 15 km from the Saskatchewan border and 340 km...
, by 1973, the year his youngest brother Travis was born. Wally worked as a truck driver and maintenance worker at the arena in Russell.
Always one of the smallest children in his class and without stable supervision at home, Fleury adopted an aggressive posture and later described himself as a bully. He turned to hockey as an outlet when he borrowed an old pair of skates and a broken stick to play his first game at the age of five. From that point on, he played hockey at every opportunity, often accompanying his father to the arena in Russell in the pre-dawn hours. He was described by his teachers as a determined youth, who would repeat any activity he failed at until he got it right.
Although his mother was a Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
, Fleury was raised as a Roman Catholic. He attended mass from age 6 to 12, serving as an altar boy until the church's priest died of a heart attack, depriving Fleury of one of his earliest positive influences. Always lacking money and a stable home, Fleury received support from the community, in particular the Peltz family in Russell, who ensured that he and his brothers were fed and bought them new clothes when required. In January 1982, Fleury's dreams of playing in the NHL nearly ended at the age of 13 when, during a game, he suffered a deep cut under his arm that severed his brachial artery
Brachial artery
The brachial artery is the major blood vessel of the arm.It is the continuation of the axillary artery beyond the lower margin of teres major muscle. It continues down the ventral surface of the arm until it reaches the cubital fossa at the elbow. It then divides into the radial and ulnar arteries...
. He missed nearly a year of contact hockey as a result. Five months after the incident, the community raised money to send him to the Andy Murray Hockey School in Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon, Manitoba
Brandon is the second largest city in Manitoba, Canada, and is located in the southwestern area of the province. Brandon is the largest city in the Westman region of Manitoba. The city is located along the Assiniboine River. Spruce Woods Provincial Park and CFB Shilo are a relatively short distance...
. It was there that Fleury met Graham James, who was working as a scout for the Winnipeg Warriors
Winnipeg Warriors
The Winnipeg Warriors were a junior ice hockey team that played in the Western Hockey League. They were founded as an expansion team in 1980, but suffered from attendance problems competing with the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League and ultimately moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in 1984,...
of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL). James told Fleury that he had the skill to play in the NHL despite his size, and promised to recruit him to play junior hockey for the Warriors when he was old enough.
Junior
Fleury began his junior career in 1983–84 as a 15-year-old with the St. James CanadiansSt. James Canadians
The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League
Manitoba Junior Hockey League
The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League ....
, scoring 33 goals
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
and 64 points
Point (ice hockey)
Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...
in 22 games, an incredible pace of nearly three points per game. In 1984–85 he moved to the Moose Jaw Warriors
Moose Jaw Warriors
The Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League which are based out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The team plays its home games at Mosaic Place. The franchise moved to Moose Jaw from Winnipeg after the 1983–84 season, where they had previously been named the...
, who had just relocated from Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, scoring 29 goals and 75 points in 71 games as a 16-year-old. He improved his totals in each of his four years in the WHL, culminating with a 68-goal, 92-assist
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
season in 1987–88. Fleury's 160 points tied him for the league lead with Joe Sakic
Joe Sakic
Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL...
, and the two players shared the Bob Clarke Trophy
Bob Clarke Trophy
The Bob Clarke Trophy is awarded annually to the top scorer in the Western Hockey League.It is named after National Hockey League Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke who was one of the WHL's early stars...
as the WHL's top scorers. Fleury's 92 assists and 160 points remain team records; he also holds the Warriors' career records for goals (201), assists (271) and points (472). , he remains 10th all-time in WHL scoring.
Always one of the smallest players in the game, Fleury learned early that he had to play an unpredictable style of game to survive against players much larger than he was. He found that the best way to protect himself was to intimidate his opponents by playing a feisty, physical game, which he said led to many retaliatory penalties and several arguments with his coaches. He recorded 235 penalties in minutes
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
in his final year of junior, nearly 100 more than any of the other top 10 WHL scorers. Fleury retained this style of play throughout his hockey career, routinely surprising opponents who felt their size was an advantage.
Fleury twice represented Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. He first joined the team for the 1987 tournament
1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 11th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Piešťany, Trenčín, Nitra, and Topoľčany, Czechoslovakia . Finland captured its first World Junior gold medal. Czechoslovakia captured the silver, and Sweden the bronze...
in Piešťany
Pieštany
Piešťany is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its own district. It is the biggest and best known spa town in Slovakia and has around 30,000 inhabitants.-History:...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. The tournament is best remembered for the "Punch-up in Piestany
Punch-up in Piestany
The Punch-up in Piestany was an infamous bench-clearing brawl between Canada and the Soviet Union during the final game of the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Piešťany, Czechoslovakia on January 4, 1987...
" on January 4, 1987, an infamous bench-clearing brawl
Bench-clearing brawl
A bench-clearing brawl, sometimes known as a basebrawl or a rhubarb, is a form of ritualistic fighting that occurs in sports, most notably baseball and ice hockey, in which every player on both teams leave their dugouts, bullpens, or benches and charge the playing area in order to fight one...
between the Canadians and the Soviet Union. Fleury scored the first goal of the game and, as part of his celebration, used his stick to mimic firing a machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
at the Soviet bench, a move that was criticized by Canadian officials. The brawl began early in the second period with Canada leading 4–2, when Pavel Kostichkin slashed Fleury, leading to a fight between the two. It quickly escalated into a line brawl involving all skaters on the ice, after which the Soviet players left their bench, followed closely by the Canadians. Both teams were disqualified from the tournament, costing Fleury and the Canadians a medal -– potentially the gold.
The International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
suspended all players involved in the brawl from participating in international tournaments for 18 months, though the bans were later reduced to 6 months on appeal. This reduction allowed Fleury to participate in the 1988 tournament
1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 12th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Moscow, Soviet Union. Canada and the Soviet Union won the gold and silver medals respectively as the two nations redeemed themselves following their mutual...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. He was named captain, finished second in team scoring with eight points in seven games, and was named a tournament all-star as Canada won the gold medal.
Although he scored 129 points for the Warriors in 1986–87, Fleury's small stature led many teams to doubt that he could play in the NHL. The Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
drafted him in the 8th round, 166th overall, of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft
1987 NHL Entry Draft
The 1987 NHL Entry Draft was held at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1986–87 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players selected.-Selections...
. Upon completing his junior season in 1988, Fleury signed his first professional contract, worth C$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
415,000, and joined the Flames' International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles
Salt Lake Golden Eagles
The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994...
. He scored seven points in two regular season games, then 16 more in eight playoff games as the Eagles won the Turner Cup
Turner Cup
The Turner Cup is the championship trophy of the International Hockey League. The Cup is named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professional with the Detroit Red Wings organization, and played one season with the Indianapolis Capitals in the American Hockey League...
championship.
Calgary Flames
Fleury arrived at the Flames' 1988 training camp 20 pounds (9.1 kg) overweight, and was assigned back to Salt Lake to begin the 1988–89 season. He averaged nearly two points per game, recording 37 goals and 37 assists to lead the IHL in scoring after 40 games. Mired in a slump, the Flames recalled Fleury on January 1, 1989, in the hope he could help their offence. He played his first NHL game against the Quebec NordiquesQuebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
two nights later and recorded his first points – three assists – on January 5 against the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He scored his first two NHL goals in a 7–2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
on January 7. Fleury continued to score, and finished with 34 points in 36 games in his NHL rookie season. He added 11 points in the playoffs, helping the Flames to the first Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship in franchise history.
After improving to 33 goals in his first full season, Fleury broke out in 1990–91, scoring 51 goals and 104 points to lead the Flames offensively. He played in the 1991 All-Star Game
42nd National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 42nd National Hockey League All-Star Game took place in Chicago Stadium, home of the Chicago Blackhawks, on January 19, 1991.-Commissioner's Choice:...
, scoring a goal in an 11–5 victory by the Campbell Conference over the Wales Conference. Towards the end of the season, Fleury set a league record by scoring three shorthanded goals
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
in one game against the St. Louis Blues. He shared the NHL Plus-Minus Award with Marty McSorley
Marty McSorley
Martin James "Marty" McSorley is a retired Canadian professional hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League from 1983 to 2000. A versatile player, he was able to play both the forward and defense positions. He is also a former head coach of the Springfield Falcons of the American...
, whom he tied for the league lead with +48. Fleury scored only two goals in the 1991 Stanley Cup Playoffs
1991 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs for the National Hockey League championship began on April 3, 1991, following the 1990–91 regular season. The sixteen teams that qualified, from the top four teams of the four divisions, played best-of-seven series with re-seeding after the division finals...
, but after his overtime winner in game six against the Oilers he famously slid the entire length of the ice in jubilation before crashing into the boards as his teammates attempted to catch up to him. The Flames were defeated in game seven, which ended their season.
Fleury fell back to 33 goals in 1991–92 as the Flames missed the playoffs. That season, he made his second All-Star Game
43rd National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 43rd NHL All-Star Game featured 16 goals as the Campbell Conference defeated the Wales Conference, 10–6. Brett Hull was named as the All-Star M.V.P...
appearance, recording a goal for the Campbell Conference. Fleury finished with over 100 points for the second time in his career in 1992–93 to lead the team in scoring, and set a franchise record by going +9 in a 13–1 victory over the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
on February 10, 1993, in which he scored six points.
The 1994–95 NHL lockout reduced the season to 48 games from 84. During the lockout, Fleury played for Tappara
Tappara
Tappara is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Tampere, Finland at Tampereen jäähalli. The team have won 15 league championships ....
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
's top league, the SM-liiga
SM-liiga
The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice...
. He recorded 17 points in ten games before the NHL's labour dispute was resolved, bringing him back to Calgary. Late in the season, Fleury recorded two goals and an assist against the Oilers on March 31, 1995, to surpass 500 career points.
Lacking a contract prior to the 1995–96 season, Fleury staged a brief hold-out during training camp before signing a five-year, $12 million deal with the Flames. He agreed to take less money than he could have received on the open market out of loyalty to the franchise that had given him his NHL opportunity. He missed much of the pre-season with a stomach ailment, but joined the team for the season opener. Although he felt like somebody was "stabbing a knife in [his] gut every five minutes", Fleury had played every game for the Flames when he revealed in December 1995 that he had been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
and doctors had finally found the correct medication to control it. Despite the ailment, Fleury led the team in goals, assists and points, and played in his third All-Star Game, serving as Calgary's only representative.
When Joe Nieuwendyk
Joe Nieuwendyk
Joseph Nieuwendyk is the general manager of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League and a retired Canadian ice hockey player...
refused to report to the Flames prior to the 1995 season, they named Fleury interim captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
. The title was made permanent when Nieuwendyk was traded in December. Fleury was reluctant to assume the captaincy, but did so out of loyalty to the team and because there was nobody else capable of taking on the role. He relinquished it two seasons later after deciding that it was harming his play and affecting his relationship with his teammates and coach Pierre Pagé
Pierre Pagé
Pierre Pagé, also spelled Pierre Page is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and executive. He currently coaches EC Red Bull Salzburg. He is also a former head coach in the National Hockey League .-Coaching career:...
.
The Flames struggled in 1996–97, finishing last in the Pacific Division
Pacific Division (NHL)
The National Hockey League's Pacific Division is one of three divisions that make up the Western Conference. It was formed in 1993 as part of a league realignment...
and missing the playoffs for only the second time since their arrival in Calgary in 1980. Fleury again led the team in scoring, but his 29 goals were the fewest he had scored in a full season in the NHL. He was the Flames' lone representative at the 1997 All-Star Game
47th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 18, 1997 at the San Jose Arena. The final score was Eastern Conference 11, Western Conference 7. This game was originally scheduled for the 1994-95 season, but was cancelled due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.-Super Skills...
. He scored only 27 goals in 1997–98, but increased his point total from 67 to 78 while also leading the team with 197 penalties in minutes
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
. On November 29, 1997, Fleury scored his 315th career goal, breaking Nieuwendyk's franchise record. The same day, he was named to Team Canada for the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
. Fleury participated in his fifth All-Star Game
48th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 48th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, home to the Vancouver Canucks, on January 18, 1998.-The International Showdown:...
that season, but the Flames again missed the playoffs.
On February 19, 1999, he surpassed Al MacInnis
Al MacInnis
Allan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star...
as the franchise scoring leader with his 823rd career point. He held the record for ten years until surpassed by Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
in 2009. The Flames, who had been struggling financially and were unable to sign Fleury to a new contract, chose to trade him less than two weeks after he broke the record rather than risk losing him to free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
on February 28 for René Corbet
René Corbet
René Corbet is a Canadian ice hockey player who currently plays for the Frisk Tigers of the Norwegian GET-ligaen. He has previously played in the National Hockey League with the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and Pittsburgh Penguins.-Playing career:Corbet was drafted in the...
, Wade Belak
Wade Belak
Wade Belak was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and defenceman. He was drafted 12th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft...
and Robyn Regehr
Robyn Regehr
Robyn Regehr is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League . He was a first round draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche, selected 19th overall at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, but was traded to Calgary while still playing junior hockey for the...
. Although it was expected to a certain extent, the trade nonetheless stunned fans in Calgary. His popularity was such that during a game in 1999, after Fleury was sent off the ice to change a bloody jersey, a fan threw his own souvenir jersey over the boards so that Fleury would not miss a shift. He put the jersey on before realizing it was autographed and handed it back.
The trade was viewed as another sign that small-market Canadian teams could no longer compete in the NHL. The economics of hockey had changed such that the Flames felt that they had to deal their top player despite being just two points out of a playoff spot. Following the trade, Fleury said that any team looking to sign him to a new contract would have to pay him $7 million per year. In his autobiography, Playing with Fire, Fleury claims that he was offered $16 million over four years by the Flames before the trade, and countered with an offer of $25 million over five years.
Colorado, New York and Chicago
Fleury made his debut for the Avalanche the day after the trade and was met with loud cheers from the Denver crowd. He scored a goal in a 4–3 loss to Edmonton, but also sprained his knee and missed the next two weeks. He had missed only seven games during his 11-year career in Calgary. He played in 15 regular-season games for the Avalanche, scoring 10 goals and 14 assists, and another 5 goals and 12 assists in 18 playoff games before the Avalanche were eliminated by the Dallas StarsDallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
in the Western Conference Finals
1999 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs, the championship of the National Hockey League , began in April, 1999, following the 1998–99 NHL season. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-7 series for conference quarterfinals, semifinals and championships, and then the...
.
The Avalanche chose not to re-sign Fleury, and he joined the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
on a three-year contract worth $21 million that included a club option for a fourth year at $7 million. He touched off a wave of anger on signing with the Rangers when he claimed he was unappreciated in Calgary, comments he later stated were directed at the Flames' owners and not the team's fans, whom he said always supported him. Fleury's first year in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
was a disappointment. He scored only 15 goals in 1999–2000, struggling under the pressure of trying to lead the Rangers into the playoffs and adapting to life in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. After the season, he voluntarily entered a league-operated program that treats substance abuse and emotional problems, though he denied that either had any effect on his play.
Fleury rebounded to score 30 goals in 2000–01 and participated in his seventh All-Star Game
51st National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on February 4, 2001, at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The final score was North America 14, World 12.-Super Skills Competition:...
. He scored his 400th NHL goal on November 4, 2000, in a 5–2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
. Fleury was leading his team, and was fourth in the league, with 74 points in 62 games, when the Rangers announced that he had again entered the league's substance abuse program. The decision ended his season.
Prior to the 2001–02 season Fleury said that he continued to struggle with substance abuse and had difficulty adapting to life in Manhattan after growing up in a Canadian prairie town of 1,500. He played all 82 games in 2001–02, but his problems affected his behavior on the ice. After receiving a major and game misconduct penalty in a game against the San Jose Sharks on December 28, he wound up in a confrontation with the Sharks' mascot, S.J. Sharkie, in a hallway of the HP Pavilion, reportedly breaking the rib of the mascot portrayer. Fleury himself later downplayed the incident, saying that he "nudged" Sharkie. Upon taking a penalty in a January 2002 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
, Fleury left the arena rather than skate to the penalty box. He later apologized to his teammates, claiming he was deeply stressed by family problems. Two weeks later, he was fined $1,000 for making an obscene gesture to fans of the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
who had been taunting him over his drug use. Towards the end of February, he lashed out against the league's officials. He claimed they were not judging him fairly, and threatened to retire. The league dismissed his complaints. He did achieve a personal milestone during the season, however: on October 27, 2001, Fleury assisted on a goal by Mike York
Mike York
Michael York is an American professional ice hockey left winger currently playing for the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga .-Playing career:...
, scoring the 1,000th point of his NHL career. The Rangers presented him with a silver stick in honour of the achievement.
Following the season, the Rangers did not exercise their option
Option (finance)
In finance, an option is a derivative financial instrument that specifies a contract between two parties for a future transaction on an asset at a reference price. The buyer of the option gains the right, but not the obligation, to engage in that transaction, while the seller incurs the...
, and traded Fleury's playing rights to the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, which entitled the Sharks to a compensatory draft pick if Fleury signed elsewhere. He did so with a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
. Two days prior to the opening of the 2002–03 season, he was suspended by the NHL for violating the terms of the league's substance abuse program. The Blackhawks hired one of Fleury's friends, also a recovering alcoholic, to ensure that he attended Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
meetings and abided by the terms of the NHL's aftercare program.
Fleury missed the first two months of the season before being reinstated. While out with teammates in January 2003, he was involved in a drunken brawl with bouncers at a strip club in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, that left him bloodied; he has no memory of the night and described it as among the lowest points of his life. He was not suspended, but the incident contributed to a collapse in the standings by the Blackhawks, and they placed him on waiver
Waiver
A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege.While a waiver is often in writing, sometimes a person's actions can act as a waiver. An example of a written waiver is a disclaimer, which becomes a waiver when accepted...
s in March. No team claimed him, and Fleury finished the season with the Blackhawks, recording 12 goals and 21 assists in 54 games. Following the season, in April 2003, he was suspended again by the league for violations of its substance abuse program. The suspension ended his NHL career.
Senior hockey and the Belfast Giants
In January 2005, Fleury announced that he had joined his cousin Todd Holt and former NHL players Gino OdjickGino Odjick
Wayne Gino "Chief, The Enforcer" Odjick was born on 7 September 1970 in an Algonquin Native Reserve named Chum Sa Bay at Maniwaki, Quebec. He was a professional hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1990–91 to 2001–02....
, Sasha Lakovic
Sasha Lakovic
Sasha "The Basha, Pitbull" Lakovic is a retired professional ice hockey player who played for 17 different professional teams during his career...
and Dody Wood
Dody Wood
Darin Michael "Dody" Wood is a retired ice hockey left winger drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the 3rd round, 45th overall in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. He suited up for 106 NHL games with the San Jose Sharks before being traded to the New Jersey Devils on December 7, 1997...
in playing for the Horse Lake Thunder
Horse Lake Thunder
Horse Lake Thunder is a defunct men's Senior ice hockey team that played in the North Peace Hockey League .-2004-05 season:Former NHL superstar Theoren Fleury played a season with the Horse Lake Thunder in 2004. The 2004 Horse Lake roster also included former NHL players Gino Odjick, Sasha Lakovic...
of the North Peace Hockey League
North Peace Hockey League
The North Peace Hockey League is a Canadian men's Senior ice hockey league based in Northern Alberta and North Eastern British Columbia. It is not professional but the teams and players play at a high calibre...
for the Allan Cup
Allan Cup
The Allan Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the national senior amateur men’s ice hockey champions of Canada. It has been competed for since 1909. The current champion is the Clarenville Caribous hockey club of Newfoundland and Labrador.-History:...
, Canada's national senior amateur championship. He also hoped to serve as a role model for kids on the Horse Lake First Nation
Horse Lakes 152b
Horse Lakes 152b is an Indian reserve in Alberta. It is located northwest of Grande Prairie. It is at an elevation of .-References:...
. Hockey Alberta
Hockey Alberta
Hockey Alberta is the governing body of all ice hockey in Alberta, Canada and is affiliated with Hockey Canada. It was founded in 1907 as the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association to be the governing body for Alberta intra-city ice hockey play....
initially ruled that he was ineligible to play senior hockey
Senior ice hockey
Senior hockey refers to amateur or semi-professional ice hockey competition for players too old to play junior ice hockey. The top senior amateur teams in Canadian leagues compete annually for the Allan Cup....
in 2004–05 because he had been signed to a professional contract during the 2003–04 season. Hockey Alberta denied an appeal, citing a new policy it had put in effect to prevent NHL players from joining senior teams during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. It reversed its decision on a second appeal after the NHL and National Hockey League Players Association both agreed that Fleury was a free agent, and not a locked-out player. Fleury played his first game for the Thunder on January 22, 2005, scoring a goal and two assists.
Fleury remained embroiled in controversy at the 2005 Allan Cup
2005 Allan Cup
The 2005 Allan Cup was the Canadian national senior ice hockey championship for the 2004-05 Senior "AAA" season. The event was hosted by the Lloydminster Border Kings in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan/Alberta...
tournament. The Thunder were repeatedly accused of paying players despite being an amateur team, and Fleury angrily denied rumours that he was secretly being paid $100,000. Tournament fans were extremely hostile towards the Thunder, and after it was eliminated in the semi-finals Fleury accused them of racism and threatened to return his 2002 Olympic gold medal: "The one thing that's really bothered me through this whole thing is the prejudice, still, in this country when it comes to native people. I've seen it first-hand in every building we go into, how these people are treated, and it's absolutely embarrassing to be a Canadian and know that stuff is still going on."
Fleury was convinced by a friend to move to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
to play with the Belfast Giants
Belfast Giants
The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast....
of the Elite Ice Hockey League
Elite Ice Hockey League
Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other...
(EIHL) for the 2005–06 season. He scored three goals
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
and added four assists and a fight in his first game, against the Edinburgh Capitals
Edinburgh Capitals
The Edinburgh Capitals are a Scottish ice hockey club, playing in the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League.They are based in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh...
. He scored 22 goals and 52 assists in 34 games, as Belfast won the regular season league title. Described as the "most talented" player ever to play in the United Kingdom, Fleury was named the EIHL's Player of the Year
Player of the Year Trophy (IHJUK)
The Player of the Year Trophy is an award given by Ice Hockey Journalists UK to the MVP in the Elite League and the English Premier League at the end of each season. In previous seasons it has been awarded to players in the British Hockey League's Premier and First Divisions, the Super League and...
and voted a first team All-Star
EIHL All-Star Team
The All-Star Teams for the British Elite Ice Hockey League are voted for by members of Ice Hockey Journalists UK to honour the best players at the end of each season.- 2003-2004 :First Team...
by the British Ice Hockey Writers Association
Ice Hockey Journalists UK
Ice Hockey Journalists UK, abbreviated to IHJUK, is an organisation which was set up in 1984 to promote the interests of ice hockey and its writers, photographers and broadcasters...
. Fleury argued with visiting fans, as well as officials, which led him not to return to Belfast in 2006–07.
In late 2008, Fleury joined his brother Ted with the Steinbach North Stars
Steinbach North Stars
The Île-des-Chênes North Stars are a Canadian Senior ice hockey team from Ile des Chenes, Manitoba...
in a second bid to win the Allan Cup. He played 13 league games, scoring eight goals and 19 assists. At the 2009 Allan Cup
2009 Allan Cup
The 2009 Allan Cup was the 2009 edition of the Canadian National Championship of Senior ice hockey. This tournament marked the 101st year that the Allan Cup has been awarded. The 2009 tournament was hosted by the City of Steinbach, Manitoba and the Steinbach North Stars...
tournament, he recorded a goal and an assist to lead the host North Stars to a 5–0 win in their opening game, and finished tied for the lead in tournament scoring at seven points. The North Stars lost the semi-finals to the South East Prairie Thunder, 4–2.
NHL comeback attempt
Unhappy with how his NHL career ended, Fleury hired a personal trainer in February 2009 and began an attempt to return to the NHL. By August, he petitioned Commissioner Gary BettmanGary Bettman
Gary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League , a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association...
to lift his suspension. He was reinstated on September 10 following a meeting with Bettman, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly
Bill Daly
William L. "Bill" Daly is an attorney and the Current Deputy Commissioner and chief legal officer of the NHL under Commissioner Gary Bettman. He is also a Hockey Hall of Fame Board Member and former NHL Vice President and Chief Legal Officer. Before joining the NHL front office he worked for the...
and league doctors. Fleury then accepted a try-out offer from the Flames. He said he wanted to prove to himself that he could still play at the NHL level, though his skeptics pointed to his child support payments and the failure of his concrete business, as well as the planned release of his autobiography, and argued Fleury's comeback was financially motivated.
He made his return to the NHL in an exhibition game in Calgary against the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
on September 17 on a line with Daymond Langkow
Daymond Langkow
Daymond Randolph Langkow is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League . He was a first round selection, fifth overall, of the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 1995 NHL Entry Draft...
and Nigel Dawes
Nigel Dawes
Nigel Dawes is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for Barys Astana. Before joining Barys, he played for the Montreal Canadiens, the Atlanta Thrashers and the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League...
. Fleury was met with loud cheers throughout the game, and scored the only goal in a shootout
Overtime (ice hockey)
Overtime is a method of determining the winner and loser of an ice hockey match when the scores are tied after regulation. The two main methods are the overtime period and the shootout.-Overtime periods:...
to give the Flames a 5–4 win. After the game, he saluted the crowd as the fans chanted "Theo! Theo! Theo!" Three nights later, he scored a goal and an assist in a 5–2 victory over the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
.
Fleury played four exhibition games, scoring four points, before being released by the Flames. General Manager Darryl Sutter
Darryl Sutter
Darryl John Sutter is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward and coach, and former general manager of the Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League...
expressed his pride in Fleury's attempt and commended his effort, but decided he was not one of the top six wingers in camp, which Sutter and Fleury had agreed was a condition of the tryout continuing. On September 28, 2009, Fleury announced his retirement at a news conference at the Saddledome
Pengrowth Saddledome
The Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary indoor arena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 19,289 people.Located on the Stampede Grounds, on the east end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of...
. He thanked the Flames for allowing him to attempt the comeback, and expressed satisfaction at how his career ended. "I get to retire a Calgary Flame. I HAD to retire a Calgary Flame. It’s been a long journey. It’s time to put down some roots. And there’s no better place than here," said Fleury of his decision not to seek an offer from another team.
International
Fleury made his debut with the Canadian senior team at the 1990 World Hockey Championships1990 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:Norway needing to keep their final game within four goals, lost four to nothing to the Germans, and were relegated....
, scoring 11 points in nine games for the fourth-place Canadians. He returned the following year despite a knee injury, helping Canada win the silver medal at the 1991 tournament
1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships
-Final Round:-Consolation Round:No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.-World Championship Group B :...
. His 51-goal NHL season in 1990–91 also earned Fleury a spot at the 1991 Canada Cup
1991 Canada Cup
The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada...
, where he scored a goal and four assists in seven games for the tournament champion Canadians. Five years later, he played in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey
1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....
, the successor to the Canada Cup
Canada Cup (ice hockey)
The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional...
. He finished fourth in the tournament with four goals, but Canada finished in second place after giving up four goals in the final four minutes of the championship game against the American team.
National Hockey League players were first allowed to participate in the Olympic ice hockey tournament at the 1998 games
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
. Invited to join Canada's "Dream Team", Fleury described his selection as a highlight of his life. He scored a goal for Canada, who lost their semi-final match-up against the Czech Republic in a shootout and failed to medal. Four years later, Fleury was invited by General Manager Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
to participate in Canada's selection camp for the 2002 Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:...
. The invitation was controversial, as his behavioural and substance abuse issues had become increasingly public in previous months. Fleury wanted to justify Gretzky's support and, knowing that he would be removed from consideration if he failed, refrained from drinking or taking drugs during the 2001–02 NHL season, later describing himself as a "dry drunk". He earned a spot on the team and recorded two assists in six games as the Canadian hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years. Fleury considers the championship to be the pinnacle of his career.
Off the ice
In 1994, Fleury joined a group that involved his former junior coach, Graham James, fellow NHL player Joe Sakic
Joe Sakic
Joseph Steven "Joe" Sakic is a former Canadian professional ice hockey player and current hockey executive. He played his entire National Hockey League career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. In his 20-year tenure, Sakic won the Stanley Cup twice, captured numerous NHL...
, and professional wrestler Bret Hart
Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
as a minority owner of the expansion Calgary Hitmen
Calgary Hitmen
The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League . They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner...
of the Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
. He sold his share of the team to the Flames in 1997 in the aftermath of James' conviction for sexually abusing Sheldon Kennedy
Sheldon Kennedy
Sheldon Kennedy is a former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League . Kennedy was drafted by the Red Wings in the fourth round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft while playing with the Swift Current Broncos of...
and another player. After returning from Northern Ireland, he operated Fleury's Concrete Coatings, a concrete sealing business he started with his wife Jennifer and brother Travis, until it closed in 2009. He filmed a pilot episode in 2007 for a Reality TV series based on his concrete business called Theoren Fleury: Rock Solid: "We want to show people that if you have a dream, anything is possible with a little ambition," Fleury said of the show. It was not picked up by any network.
The 2008 launch of clothing line "FAKE" (Fleury's Artistic Kustom Enterprises) led him to approach the Calgary Vipers
Calgary Vipers
The Calgary Vipers were a professional baseball team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They were part of the Western Division of the independent North American League. The Vipers have played all of their home games at Foothills Stadium. Previously, the Vipers played in the Northern League from...
of the Golden Baseball League
Golden Baseball League
The Golden Baseball League, based in San Ramon, California, was an independent baseball league. It later merged with the Northern League and the United Baseball League to form the North American League in the western United States, western Canada and Mexico....
in the hope of convincing them to use his brand of practice jerseys. The conversation led to talk of Fleury playing a game for the Vipers as a publicity stunt. He made his professional baseball debut on August 9, 2008, at the age of 40, hitting a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
in a pinch-hit
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
appearance against the Yuma Scorpions
Yuma Scorpions
The Yuma Scorpions are a professional baseball team based in Yuma, Arizona, in the United States. The Scorpions are a member of the Western Division of the independent North American League. From the 2005 season to the present, the Scorpions have played their home games at Desert Sun Stadium at the...
. He started the second game at left field
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
and struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
twice before he was replaced. "I've had so many things happen in my life already that I sometimes surprise myself with the things I've done, the things I've accomplished. This was just another one of those days," Fleury said of his appearance with the Vipers.
Fleury has organized or participated in numerous charitable causes. He launched a hockey school in the mid-1990s that ran for seven years in Calgary and another eight in Russell, and donated the proceeds to minor hockey associations. Following his diagnosis with Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
in 1995, Fleury joined with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada to host an annual golf tournament in Calgary. The event has raised over $1 million, and is one of the organization's largest fundraising events in the Calgary area. He participates in Flames Alumni events and volunteers with the Calgary Dream Centre, which helps people overcome addiction.
Fleury was a participant on the second season of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
reality show Battle of the Blades
Battle of the Blades
Battle of the Blades is a Canadian figure skating reality show and competition that airs on CBC Television. It was first broadcast before a live audience at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. With Maple Leaf Gardens under renovation however, the show was filmed at Pinewood Toronto Studios in season two...
, aired in the fall of 2010, and was donating his winnings to The Men's Project, a charity that provides support for men abused in childhood. His partner was Jamie Salé
Jamie Salé
Jamie Rae Salé is a Canadian pair skater. With partner David Pelletier, she is a 2002 Olympic Champion and the 2001 World Champion. Salé & Pelletier's Olympic gold medal was shared with the Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze after the 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating...
and the pair finished 5th.
Autobiography
With the help of Kirstie McLellan Day, Fleury wrote his autobiographyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Playing with Fire
Playing with Fire (Autobiography)
Playing with Fire is the best selling autobiography of former National Hockey League player Theoren Fleury. Co-written with author Kirstie McLellan Day, Fleury documented how he became a star player, Stanley Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist despite battling drug and alcohol addictions that...
, which was released on October 16, 2009. In it, he alleged that he was sexually abused by Graham James over a period of two years. While he stated he "doesn't want to become the poster boy for abuse by James", Fleury hoped that speaking out might make it easier for other childhood sexual abuse victims to come forward. He blamed the abuse for turning him into a "raging, alcoholic lunatic", and claimed to have placed a loaded gun in his mouth and contemplated suicide in 2004. He revealed that he had spent most of his income on alcohol, drugs, gambling and women. Fleury also claimed that he failed 13 consecutive drug tests while playing for the Rangers, but that the league did not want to suspend him because he was a leading scorer. The league disputed this, and stated that its substance abuse program functioned appropriately.
Playing with Fire became the top seller on Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
within a week of its release, and Fleury stated that he had been contacted by several sexual abuse victims who were motivated by his book to seek help. He also revealed that he was contemplating a criminal complaint against James, and had begun volunteering with an organization dedicated to helping male sexual abuse victims. Fleury was surprised that his story became the top-selling non-fiction book in Canada; without help, he and his wife were unable to keep up with the mail they were receiving. It is the second book about Fleury's life, following Fury, released in 1997, which did not discuss many of the problems he was facing at the time.
Upon the release of the autobiography, Sheldon Kennedy
Sheldon Kennedy
Sheldon Kennedy is a former professional ice hockey player. He played for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League . Kennedy was drafted by the Red Wings in the fourth round of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft while playing with the Swift Current Broncos of...
encouraged Fleury to press charges against James. Fleury retained a lawyer to look into the possibility, and revealed on January 14, 2010, that he had filed a complaint with City of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
Police, who had begun an investigation. Fleury has also begun a career as a motivational speaker, with the hope that sharing his story will encourage others to seek help for their problems.
McLellan Day is adapting the autobiography into a one-man play, entitled Playing with Fire: The Theo Fleury Story, to be produced by Alberta Theatre Projects
Alberta Theatre Projects
Alberta Theatre Projects is a Canadian theatre production company, founded in 1972, based at the Martha Cohen Theatre in Calgary, Alberta....
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta. The play will make its world premiere May 1, 2012.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1983–84 | St. James Canadians St. James Canadians The St. James Canadians were a Canadian junior hockey team in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League until 2003, folding officially in 2004. The Canadians played out of the St. James Civic Centre, in Winnipeg, Manitoba... |
MJHL Manitoba Junior Hockey League The Manitoba Junior Hockey League is a Junior 'A' ice hockey league operating in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The MJHL is one of eleven Junior 'A' Hockey Leagues in Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League .... |
22 | 31 | 33 | 64 | 88 | |||||||
| 1984–85 | Moose Jaw Warriors Moose Jaw Warriors The Moose Jaw Warriors are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League which are based out of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The team plays its home games at Mosaic Place. The franchise moved to Moose Jaw from Winnipeg after the 1983–84 season, where they had previously been named the... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
71 | 29 | 46 | 75 | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 72 | 43 | 65 | 108 | 124 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 16 | ||
| 1986–87 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 66 | 61 | 68 | 129 | 110 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 34 | ||
| 1987–88 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 65 | 68 | 92 | 160 | 235 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles Salt Lake Golden Eagles The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994... |
IHL | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 16 | 16 | ||
| 1988–89 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | IHL | 40 | 37 | 37 | 74 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Calgary Flames Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
36 | 14 | 20 | 34 | 46 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 24 | ||
| 1989–90 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 80 | 31 | 35 | 66 | 157 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | ||
| 1990–91 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 79 | 51 | 53 | 104 | 136 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 14 | ||
| 1991–92 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 80 | 33 | 40 | 73 | 133 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 83 | 34 | 66 | 100 | 88 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 27 | ||
| 1993–94 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 83 | 40 | 45 | 85 | 186 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 5 | ||
| 1994–95 | Tappara Tappara Tappara is an ice hockey team in the SM-liiga. They play in Tampere, Finland at Tampereen jäähalli. The team have won 15 league championships .... |
SM-l SM-liiga The SM-liiga is the top professional ice hockey league in Finland. As of March 2008, it is ranked by the IIHF as the second strongest league in Europe. It was created in 1975 to replace the SM-sarja, which was fundamentally an amateur league. The SM-liiga is not directly overseen by the Finnish Ice... |
10 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 47 | 29 | 29 | 58 | 112 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 1995–96 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 80 | 46 | 50 | 96 | 112 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 14 | ||
| 1996–97 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 81 | 29 | 38 | 67 | 104 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 82 | 27 | 51 | 78 | 197 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 60 | 30 | 39 | 69 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
NHL | 15 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 20 | ||
| 1999–00 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 80 | 15 | 49 | 64 | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | New York Rangers | NHL | 62 | 30 | 44 | 74 | 122 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 24 | 39 | 63 | 216 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
NHL | 54 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Horse Lake Thunder Horse Lake Thunder Horse Lake Thunder is a defunct men's Senior ice hockey team that played in the North Peace Hockey League .-2004-05 season:Former NHL superstar Theoren Fleury played a season with the Horse Lake Thunder in 2004. The 2004 Horse Lake roster also included former NHL players Gino Odjick, Sasha Lakovic... |
NPHL North Peace Hockey League The North Peace Hockey League is a Canadian men's Senior ice hockey league based in Northern Alberta and North Eastern British Columbia. It is not professional but the teams and players play at a high calibre... |
7 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Belfast Giants Belfast Giants The Belfast Giants are an ice hockey team from Belfast, Northern Ireland that compete in the Elite Ice Hockey League. Home games are played at the 7,100-capacity Odyssey Arena in Belfast.... |
EIHL | 34 | 22 | 52 | 74 | 270 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 34 | ||
| 2008–09 | Steinbach North Stars Steinbach North Stars The Île-des-Chênes North Stars are a Canadian Senior ice hockey team from Ile des Chenes, Manitoba... |
HM Hockey Manitoba Hockey Manitoba is the governing body of all amateur ice hockey in Manitoba, Canada. Hockey Manitoba is a branch affiliate of Hockey Canada. Hockey Manitoba was founded in 1914 as the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association.-Leagues:... |
13 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 42 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 26 | ||
| NHL totals | 1084 | 455 | 633 | 1088 | 1840 | 77 | 34 | 45 | 79 | 116 | ||||
International play
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | Team result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 11th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Piešťany, Trenčín, Nitra, and Topoľčany, Czechoslovakia . Finland captured its first World Junior gold medal. Czechoslovakia captured the silver, and Sweden the bronze... |
Canada Canada national junior hockey team The Canadian men's national under 20 ice hockey team is the national under-20 ice hockey team in Canada. The team represents Canada at the International Ice Hockey Federation's World Junior Hockey Championship, held annually every December and January... |
World Juniors | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | Disqualified Punch-up in Piestany The Punch-up in Piestany was an infamous bench-clearing brawl between Canada and the Soviet Union during the final game of the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Piešťany, Czechoslovakia on January 4, 1987... |
| 1988 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 12th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Moscow, Soviet Union. Canada and the Soviet Union won the gold and silver medals respectively as the two nations redeemed themselves following their mutual... |
Canada | World Juniors | 7 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 4 | Gold medal |
| 1990 1990 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:Norway needing to keep their final game within four goals, lost four to nothing to the Germans, and were relegated.... |
Canada | World Championship Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European... |
9 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 10 | Fourth place |
| 1991 1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships -Final Round:-Consolation Round:No team was relegated because of the expansion to twelve teams.-World Championship Group B :... |
Canada | World Championship | 8 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 8 | Silver medal |
| 1991 1991 Canada Cup The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991. The finals took place in Montreal on September 14 and Hamilton, Ontario on September 16, and were won by Canada. The Canadians defeated the USA in a two game sweep, to win the fifth and final Canada... |
Canada | Canada Cup Canada Cup (ice hockey) The Canada Cup was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that allowed the best players from participating nations to compete regardless of their status as professional... |
7 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | Gold medal |
| 1996 1996 World Cup of Hockey The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey .... |
Canada | World Cup of Hockey World Cup of Hockey The World Cup of Hockey is an international ice hockey tournament. Inaugurated in 1996, it is the successor to the previous Canada Cup, which ran from 1976 to 1991... |
8 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | Second place |
| 1998 Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics was played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena in Nagano, Japan.-Men's tournament:The 1998 Olympic men's ice hockey tournament was the first in which professional players from the National Hockey League were allowed to participate, allowing national teams to... |
Canada | Olympic Games Olympic Games The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate... |
6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | Fourth place |
| 2002 Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics Ice hockey at the 2002 Winter Olympics were held at the E Center in West Valley City and Peaks Ice Arena in Provo, Utah. Both the men's and women's tournaments were won by Canada, defeating the host USA in both games.-Men:... |
Canada | Olympic Games | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | Gold medal |
| Junior totals | 13 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 6 | |||
| Senior totals | 44 | 15 | 23 | 38 | 46 | |||
All-Star Games
| Year | Location | G | A | P | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 42nd National Hockey League All-Star Game The 42nd National Hockey League All-Star Game took place in Chicago Stadium, home of the Chicago Blackhawks, on January 19, 1991.-Commissioner's Choice:... |
Chicago Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1992 43rd National Hockey League All-Star Game The 43rd NHL All-Star Game featured 16 goals as the Campbell Conference defeated the Wales Conference, 10–6. Brett Hull was named as the All-Star M.V.P... |
Philadelphia Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1996 | Boston Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 47th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 18, 1997 at the San Jose Arena. The final score was Eastern Conference 11, Western Conference 7. This game was originally scheduled for the 1994-95 season, but was cancelled due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.-Super Skills... |
San Jose San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1998 48th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 48th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, home to the Vancouver Canucks, on January 18, 1998.-The International Showdown:... |
Vancouver Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1999 49th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 49th National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on January 24, 1999, at the Ice Palace in Tampa Bay, Florida, home to the Tampa Bay Lightning.-"North America" and the World:... |
Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the... |
0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2001 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game The 51st National Hockey League All-Star Game took place on February 4, 2001, at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. The final score was North America 14, World 12.-Super Skills Competition:... |
Colorado Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise... |
2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |
| All-Star totals | 5 | 6 | 11 | 2 | ||
Awards
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Junior | ||
| WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... Eastern Conference All-Star Team |
1987–88 | |
| Bob Clarke Trophy Bob Clarke Trophy The Bob Clarke Trophy is awarded annually to the top scorer in the Western Hockey League.It is named after National Hockey League Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke who was one of the WHL's early stars... |
1987–88 (shared) | |
| IIHF World U20 Championship Tournament All-Star | 1988 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 12th edition of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and was held in Moscow, Soviet Union. Canada and the Soviet Union won the gold and silver medals respectively as the two nations redeemed themselves following their mutual... |
|
| National Hockey League National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
||
| NHL Plus-Minus Award | 1990–91 (shared) | |
| NHL Second Team All-Star NHL All-Star Team The NHL All-Star Teams were first named at the end of the 1930–31 NHL season, to honor the best performers over the season at each position.Representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Team at the end of the regular season.The career leaders in citations are... |
1994–95 | |
| Calgary Flames team awards | ||
| Molson Cup Molson Cup The Molson Cup is an award presented to a distinguished player on Canadian ice hockey teams. After each game, the "three game stars" are selected, usually by a member of the media. At the end of the season, the player with the most three-star honours is presented with the Molson Cup... |
1990–91 1990–91 Calgary Flames season The 1990–91 Calgary Flames season was the 11th National Hockey League season in Calgary. The Flames entered the season with a new coach, as they replaced Terry Crisp with Doug Risebrough... 1992–93 1992–93 Calgary Flames season The 1992–93 Calgary Flames season was the 13th National Hockey League season in Calgary. The Flames rebounded from their disappointing 1991–92 season, finishing 2nd in the Smythe Division, four points behind the Vancouver Canucks.... 1995–96 1995–96 Calgary Flames season The 1995–96 Calgary Flames season was the 16th National Hockey League season in Calgary. The Flames entered the season with their fifth coach in five seasons, hiring Pierre Page to replace Dave King... 1997–98 1997–98 Calgary Flames season The 1997–98 Calgary Flames season was the 18th National Hockey League season in Calgary. After a disappointing 1996–97 season, the Flames looked to newly hired coach Brian Sutter to return the Flames to the playoffs.... |
|
| Elite Ice Hockey League Elite Ice Hockey League Several competitions fall under the jurisdiction of the Elite League. In 2006–07, the EIHL ran a total of four competitions: the league, playoffs, Challenge Cup and Knockout Cup. The league consists of a single division, each team playing three home games and three away games against the other... |
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| Player of the Year Player of the Year Trophy (IHJUK) The Player of the Year Trophy is an award given by Ice Hockey Journalists UK to the MVP in the Elite League and the English Premier League at the end of each season. In previous seasons it has been awarded to players in the British Hockey League's Premier and First Divisions, the Super League and... |
2005–06 | |
| First Team All-Star | 2005–06 | |