Theo Fleury popped by the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary Thursday morning to tape an episode of Flames TV with Terry Crisp, the former Calgary coach who was in town as color commentator for the Nashville Predators. Fleury and Crisp were there, mostly to reminisce about the Flames' 1989 Stanley Cup championship, which came in Fleury's rookie season. By the time Calgary traded him to Colorado in his 11th NHL season, he had just passed Al MacInnis to become the team's all-time points scoring leader (with 830 in 791 games). Jarome Iginla, currently third and the only player remaining from Fleury's last year in Calgary, is poised to pass him within the next two years, if he keeps up his current rate of production).
Now 39, Fleury hasn't played an NHL game since the 2002-03 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, when he was suspended indefinitely for violating the terms of the league's substance abuse aftercare program. He did play some senior hockey during the lockout and then capped off his playing career with the 2005-06 Belfast Giants of the English Ice Hockey League (EIHL), where he said he played at 210 pounds (he was 155, distributed over a 5-foot-6 frame when he broke into the NHL). Fleury played 34 regular-season games for Belfast in all; in that time, he scored 74 points and accmulated 270 penalty minutes, despite skating just twice in the summer prior to joining the team.
Fleury spent some time touring the Flames' dressing room and chatted briefly with coach Mike Keenan as well. Asked if he had any plans to come of retirement, Fleury retorted: "Just for the shootout. I think I can still do that. I'm pretty good at it, in the basement, playing with the kids."
Otherwise, Fleury says he's through with hockey ("I hate it. I really do," he said). He's not part of the Flames' alumni team and said he devotes most of his time to his cement business, which operates under the name Fleury's Concrete Coatings. How's business? "It's a little slow," he answered, "but I like it. I like being in business."