Canada's Marc-Andre Fleury opens up on decision to play alongside ex-teammate Sidney Crosby "one last time" at IIHF Worlds 

Longtime teammates Marc-Andre Fleury and Sidney Crosby will reunite one last time at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Finland.

Fleury retired from the NHL after the Minnesota Wild’s season ended on May 1, following a six-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. However, Fleury surprised everyone with news that he will join Team Canada.

"Why wouldn't I come over here?" Fleury said on Wednesday, via The Athletic. "You get to keep playing hockey a little while longer. Get to play with Sid one last time."

Fleury and Crosby were teammates with the Pittsburgh Penguins for 12 seasons, winning three Stanley Cup titles together.

“Me and Sid, we spent so many years together, so much time together just talking about hockey, life," Fleury said. "We won a lot together, too.”

Fleury mentioned that he and Crosby hadn’t really connected or spent time together in years, making their time at the IIHF meaningful.

After the loss to Vegas, Fleury admitted he thought his career was over. So when the chance came to keep playing a bit longer, he couldn’t pass it up. He’s thankful Team Canada general managewr Kyle Dubas reached out.

Around the time Crosby was deciding to play at the IIHF tournament, he received a text from Fleury, who mentioned that he was considering joining the team.

“I never even thought about the possibility of playing with him over here," Crosby said. "But then Flower texted me. He had gotten word from Kyle, and he was thinking about going. So, then I told him I was going to go. Within a couple of days, he decided to come over, too.”

Team Canada beat host Sweden 5-3 on Tuesday to finish the preliminary round. The win came right after their first loss, a 2-1 shootout defeat to Finland on Monday.

What's next for Marc-Andre Fleury after the IIHF Worlds?

Marc-Andre Fleury has officially retired from professional hockey. After representing Canada at the IIHF World Championship, the 40-year-old has made it clear that he’s ready to step away from the game.

“No, no, I’m done," Fleury said on Wednesday, via The Athletic. " … I debated it last year. I didn’t have to play as much this season, which made it a little easier on my body. But trust me, every time I played this season, I felt pretty old the next morning. I hadn’t felt that before. Age caught up.”

Fleury also expressed his desire to settle down in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area with his family.