The Minnesota Wild need to win – for one reason.
Clickbait? Maybe, die-hard hockey fan. Trust me, your labour (spelled that way for a reason, foreshadowing for ya) will not be in vain.
The State of Hockey. A rabid fan base. Next to utter futility in the playoffs. All valid but superficial reasons for this serious-as-a-heart-attack necessity to win. You should be ashamed of yourself.
The reason: Marc-Andre Fleury. It’s for the Flower, stupid.
Longevity. Moreover, greatness over longevity. What a concept in this Kardashian Age of TikTok. Heck, my grandma is an “influencer” with 10,000 followers. I guess the concept isn’t that new, given the Warholian 15 minutes of fame concept.
Flower is the oldest player in the league.
He’s been performing at the highest level since 2003, when the Pittsburgh Penguins chose him first overall. I won’t go into all his achievements – Wikipedia exists – but here are the ratified highlights: He is the third goaltender to ever reach 500 victories and the fourth goaltender to reach 1,000 games played.
Oh yeah, there’s the 2009, 2016, and 2017 Stanley Cups. His list of accomplishments and accolades would even humble Caesar, he of the “I came, I saw, I conquered” hubris.
So, why must the Wild win? (Are you still with me?). Legacy. So this man will be remembered longer, even for a few more days or weeks, by heaven’s grace.
Of course, his achievements are indelible. They will be around as long as there is recorded history. But they won’t be remembered, Pollyanna, for two reasons.
First: time, births, and generations. Hardly anything is passed down generationally, except your Dad’s big nose and receding hairline. Certainly not the memories of sports stars. Heck, when I tell youngsters (i.e., anyone under 35) how great Young Frankenstein is or how REM invented alt rock, they either stare blankly or wrinkle their noses as if they’ve smelled a used sweat sock.
How much more, then, will the Flower be forgotten?
Second: the man himself. He is one humble character. He makes Mr. Rogers look like a braggart. There’s something to be said about putting your head down, working hard, and excelling at your craft without fanfare. But it won’t gain you the recognition or notoriety, say, of throwing a drunkard through a plate glass window, Barkley-style.
In that vein, I remember seeing Flower years ago on a show called “Count’s Kustoms” (sic). Flower wanted an American muscle car, but customized such that it would be an everyday driver. It was painful watching the extroverted host trying to extract the details, such as simply what model of car he wanted in the first place. When it was finished, Flower was appreciative and all smiles, even asking permission to sit in it.
Yet, in his last year, there is seemingly little appreciation and certainly no fanfare. There is no “farewell tour,” where visiting cities give him hokey gifts like rocking chairs with a large screen backdrop of highlights. But there should’ve been. The list of his peers in hockey history can be counted on one hand – even if that hand was missing a few digits from a fireworks accident.
Yes, hockey fan, Flower is the reason why the Wild must win and continue to win. So the unicorn can be duly honored. Not for your selfish reasons.
(P.S. “Labor” had French origins, and Marc-Andre Fleury is, well, you get it.)
(P.P.S. Let’s give the Wild an “A” for “effort” in last night’s overtime loss: Our beloved Flower indeed had ice time. But he will go out on a higher note, given his storied career.)