Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace Fleury (born June 29, 1968 in Oxbow, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player in the British Elite Ice Hockey League who had a very successful but troubled career in the National Hockey League. He plays right wing.
Playing career
Fleury is the story of a stellar career dogged by alcoholism and off-ice issues.
Acknowledged as one of the stars of the game, he was drafted by the Calgary Flames 166th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft and won the Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989. By the time he left the Flames in 1999, he was the last remaining Flame on the roster of their 1989 Stanley Cup winning team and held numerous club and NHL records.
Initially regarded as being too small to ever lace up in the NHL and have a successful career, Fleury raised eyebrows from the moment he stepped on the ice in the big leagues. He played with the strength and physicality of a power forward yet only stands 5’6” tall, weighing only 180lbs. In his first full season with the Flames in 1989-90, Fleury tallied 31 goals and 35 assists. This was to only be the start of a very successful career throughout the 90s. Fleury tallied two 100 point seasons, one 50+ goal season and three 40+ goal seasons in his time with the Flames. Not only did Fleury have speed, play making ability and the hands of a natural goal scorer, he also possessed the strength of a heavy weight and did not need the presence of an enforcer on his line. Throughout his time in Calgary, he battled with drugs and alcoholism which only continued after his departure.
At the latter point in the 1998-99 NHL season, it was clear Calgary was not going to be able to keep their star player. Fleury would be commanding a high price on the unrestricted free agency market and Calgary would not be able to afford his salary, among others on the team. Instead of losing Fleury through the free agency market the following season, the Flames triggered a deal with the Colorado Avalanche before the trade deadline in March. Fleury was traded to Denver in exchange for Rene Corbet, Wade Belak and Robyn Regehr. Although the city was sad to see their star go, it was highly regarded as a good trade, as the Flames would have lost Fleury for nothing if they did not pull off a trade.
In the end, the Flames’ future plans panned out. With the departure of Fleury, Jarome Iginla became the new star –- which was expected -- and Robyn Regehr panned out to be a force to be reckoned with in the defensive zone.
Upon arrival in Denver, Fleury played in 15 games before the end of the season, scoring 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points and another 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 18 playoff games. Despite his success with the Avalanche, Fleury was not re-signed and eventually landed a spot on the New York Rangers on July 5, 1999. After three seasons with the blue shirts, Fleury signed with the Chicago Blackhawks for the 2002-03 NHL season.
However, by this time, wrestling with off-ice worries, including his father's cancer operation, his substance abuse problems had began to surface. In 1996, he was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Although seemingly under control for half a year by the time he won Olympic gold, he suffered a relapse and in October 2002 he was suspended for six months and placed in the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program for violating his aftercare program. His drug problems have been a source of great taunting from opposing fans, primarily those of the New York Islanders.
He began the 2002-03 NHL season serving out the 25-game suspension. Soon after his return, however, he missed a practice, claiming he had overslept, and in January, he was involved in an incident at a strip club in Columbus, Ohio. He was suspended in 2003 for again violating the substance abuse program. Regardless, his place in hockey history is secure and he will be recognised as one of the best players of the game.
In an attempt to restore his career, Fleury attempted to join the North Peace Hockey League's Horse Lake Thunder, which is based in the Horse Lake First Nations, Alberta. His first game was to be on January 6, 2005, but he was ruled ineligible because he was under an NHL contract during the previous season. After two appeals, Fleury and the Thunder were able to overturn the decision. In Fleury's first game with the Thunder, on January 22, 2005, he scored one goal and two assists. Fleury's cousin, as well as former NHLer, Gino Odjick also plays for the Thunder. The team competes for the Allan Cup.
Fleury signed for the 2005-06 season with the Belfast Giants of the British Elite Ice Hockey League, and made a stellar debut on October 15, 2005 scoring a hat-trick and gaining 4 assists which led to him being named man of the match. Although he helped the Giants to the league championship, he was involved in several incidents including one game in which he attempted to climb out of the penalty box in order to reach a Coventry Blaze fan who had taunted him only when he was in the penalty box, and threatened match officials and also gave out a few death threats to the fans in the stands[1]. Fleury later said he would not return to the league for the next season, citing the poor standard of officiating in the EIHL.
In his time with the Belfast Giants Fleury was awarded the 2006 Kingdom of the Giants Most Valuable Player, voted for and awarded by the fans through the Kingdom of the Giants fan community website. He was also voted the Elite League Player of the year by the British Ice Hockey Writers Association.
Awards
- Alka-Seltzer Plus Award - 1991 (shared)
- Played in 7 NHL All-Star Games - 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001
- British Ice Hockey Writers Elite League Player of the Season 2005-06
As a small player, only 5'6", Fleury is the only player this small to have achieved all-star status. He is the most prolific player of any small player under 5'8". There has only been one other NHL player his size to score over 40 goals in a year-- Brian Gionta (45 goals), 5'7" of the New Jersey Devils (2006). Because of Fleury's size, he is one of the most under-rated players in NHL history.
Records
- Calgary Flames franchise record for points scored (830)
- NHL record 3 short-handed goals in one game
- 50th in goals on NHL all-time rankings
- 57th in assists on NHL all-time rankings
- 52nd in points on NHL all-time rankings
- NHL record highest plus/minus rating in one game, plus-9
Career statistics
As of 29 March 2006
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1984-85 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL | 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 | 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 | NHL | 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 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 47 | 29 | 29 | 58 | 112 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 2 | ||
| 1994-95 | Tappara | SM-l | 10 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 22 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 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 | NHL | 15 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 20 | ||
| 1999-00 | New York Rangers | 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 | NHL | 54 | 12 | 21 | 33 | 77 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2004-05 | Horse Lake Thunder | NPHL | 7 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 28 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 2005-06 | Belfast Giants | EIHL | 44 | 24 | 68 | 92 | 304 | |||||||
| NHL Totals | 1084 | 455 | 633 | 1088 | 1840 | 77 | 34 | 45 | 79 | 116 | ||||
International play
| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's Ice Hockey | ||
 |
2002 Salt Lake City | Ice Hockey |
Played for Canada in:
- 1988 World Junior Hockey Championships - Team Captain (gold medal)
- 1991 World Championships (silver medal)
- 1991 Canada Cup (gold medal)
- 1996 World Cup of Hockey
- 1998 Winter Olympics
- 2002 Winter Olympics (gold medal)
See also
External links
- 1968 births
- Canadian ice hockey players
- Calgary Flames players
- Chicago Blackhawks players
- Colorado Avalanche players
- New York Rangers players
- Olympic competitors for Canada
- Olympic gold medalists for Canada
- Stanley Cup champions
- Moose Jaw Warriors alumni
- Saskatchewan sportspeople
- Belfast Giants players
- National Hockey League 50-goal seasons
- National Hockey League 100-point seasons
- Living people