MOOSE JAW — It’s hard to overstate just how much Theoren Fleury means to the Moose Jaw Warriors.
The first legitimate full-on National Hockey League superstar to emerge from the team in its earliest years, Fleury helped put the Warriors on the map back in the day and remains a fan favourite any time he’s in Canada’s Most Notorious City.
As it turns out, the feeling is mutual.
And one just has to look at the dedication the former Calgary Flames star has given to the MNP Moose Jaw Warriors Alumni Tournament over the years.
Fleury was once again among the hundred-plus participants taking part in the annual education fund fundraiser on Friday at the Hillcrest Golf Club, and that’s nothing unusual in any way -- the Warriors' all-time leading scorer has played in the event every year going on a decade, and has no plans of stopping any time soon.
“I was saying to somebody last night, when I got here and I was 16, no one thought I could play and this was sort of the catalyst to everything that I’ve accomplished in my life,” Fleury said when asked what keeps him coming back. “Moose Jaw is a special place, we have 11 Stanley Cups and people don’t realize how important it is to young people who come and pursue their dream of playing in the NHL.
“For the team to be going into their 40th season, it not only says a lot about the city and people who live here, there’s a culture that has been built from the beginning and that’s made the team special to play for and a special place to be.”
Fleury put up three 100-point-plus seasons as a member of the Warriors from 1984-88, including a 68-goal, 160-point campaign in 1987-88.
From there, well, there’s a rather famous overtime goal celebration, 1,084 NHL games, 1,088 points, a Stanley Cup and an unforgettable 16-year career.
All that could have led Fleury to leave his WHL days behind, but that just isn’t an option when there’s an opportunity to lend his former team a hand.
“I belong to one of the best NHL alumni in the league in Calgary, and I know how important we are to the community in Calgary and how important this tournament is to the Moose Jaw Warriors,” Fleury said.
“Life comes full circle and I’ve learned a lot of hard lessons in life, but I’ve never forgot about the four years here… There are so many great people who live in Moose Jaw, and as a retired guy now, it’s a chance to pay it back to the people who paid it forward and that’s what I’m always trying to do.”
Warriors Alumni Tournament chair Todd Hudson is naturally happy to see Fleury coming back year after year and lending his star power to the event.
“I’m so happy he does,” Hudson said. “He loves this community, and I don’t know if he’s missed a year since our group took this over 12 years ago. He’s been very faithful, he accepts Moose Jaw as his second home and loves the community and the support he receives from around here.”
