VANCOUVER, B.C. – Any parent of a goaltender will tell you that the list of tools needed to play the position effectively is voluminous and costly.

You need a helmet, neck guard, chest protector, glove, stick, hockey pants, leg pads, hockey socks, undergarments, socks, skates and everything else that comes with the trade of putting your body in the way of pucks that are fired sometimes at well over 100 miles per hour.

In addition to all of those tools, Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury added one more item to his arsenal at a young age, and has played thousands of games with it to date:

A smile.

Sometime soon, Fleury – who turned 40 earlier this season – will play the final NHL game of a career that will undoubtedly be celebrated in the Hockey Hall of Fame in short order. He may have already done so, after he announced early on that 2024-25 would be the last campaign of his storied career. On Wednesday, April 9 in St. Paul, Fleury made what will surely be his final home start for the Wild, finishing with 24 saves in a chaotic 8-7 overtime win versus the San Jose Sharks.

In doing so, even though statistically it was not an evening that he will gloat about, Fleury grabbed another NHL record with his 70th career overtime win. More important than the record were the two standings points earned that night, pushing Minnesota to the brink of clinching a playoff spot. And even more important for Fleury were his children joining him on the ice for the national anthem before the game.

“I thought it was cool. And I think it’ll be good memories for me, for them, right,” he said, with a broad smile. “Just to be on the ice and see what it feels like to be there and having all the people around. And, yeah, that was pretty cool.”

Two nights later, in Calgary, he played the final dozen minutes in a 4-2 loss to the Flames, coming on in relief (to thunderous applause from the fans at the Saddledome) in relief of Filip Gustavsson. The original plan was to have Fleury start the Wild’s road finale in Vancouver, but that idea was scrapped when the team fell flat in Calgary.

Honored everywhere

Whenever the end officially comes for Fleury’s career, which began in 2003 after the Pittsburgh Penguins drafted him first overall that summer, Fleury will walk away as one of the game’s legends, on and off the ice. He backstopped the Penguins to three Stanley Cup victories earlier in his career, and led the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to within a few wins of another Cup in their inaugural season in Nevada.

Although he never played for a team in his home province of Quebec, Fleury was given a lengthy on-ice tribute and standing ovation in Montreal as he blanked the Canadiens earlier this season.

Fleury and NHL scoring star Alex Ovechkin were on-ice adversaries for decades when the goalie’s Penguins were battling the scorer’s Washington Capitals for Eastern Conference supremacy. But following their final meeting in St. Paul last month, Ovechkin and all of the Capitals lined up after their game at Xcel Energy Center to give Fleury one last on-ice handshake.

When the Wild played in Pittsburgh in October, there was another on-ice tribute of note. Same thing in Las Vegas when the Wild played there in January. For the humble Fleury, it has all seemed surreal.

“I think they were all nice. You can’t just pick one … It’s always fun to see those old videos,” he said. “In Pittsburgh, I was there for so long, it was my team for so long. So it was weird to be there for one last time. The send-off right from the fans, and even throughout the game, you know, the cheers and stuff. We’re human right? You get the goosebumps, the butterflies and all that stuff. It just brings back so many good memories.”

Of the NHL record number of goals scored by Ovechkin, he has gotten more past Fleury than any other goalie. In the moment, Fleury joked that Ovechkin’s on-ice salute was because the Russian sniper was sorry to see his favorite foil retire. But in retrospect, Fleury took a warm look back.

“Honestly, I loved what Ovi did. We had so many battles, and he’s one of the best. Now the best scorer. But one of the best players, and I think it brings the best in you,” Fleury said. “You’re trying to stop him and trying to beat him, and I don’t know, maybe I give a little less blocker than I used to in front of the net. I got in trouble sometimes with the older guys. Maybe I’m not mean enough in the crease. But like I said, I love the game. I respect all the guys in it and the way they play. I love to compete. Hopefully that’s something you see.”

Goalie coaches generally want their puck stoppers to be “quiet” not in terms of how much they vocalize on the ice, but in how calmly they play their position. There is a belief in some circles that an acrobatic save is a result of a goalie not properly playing his position, and the best goalies make simple, uninteresting saves because they’re positioned properly to cut off the angle of a shot.

Fleury, in practice and in accomplishment, has never been quiet. He roams the crease from post to post, sometimes sliding and sometimes diving to make save after save, and to collect win after win. Fleury will retire with his name second in the NHL record book for both wins and games played, only behind another Quebec kid — New Jersey Devils legend Martin Brodeur.

Furious race to the finale

With the 4 Nations break in February forcing a condensed NHL schedule that has had the Wild playing on a mostly every other night pace for the past six weeks, Fleury cannot fathom how rapidly the end of the ride is approaching.

“I just feel the last few weeks have gone by so quick. Like, we’ve been playing every other day pretty much. So it’s like you play, you go on the ice a little bit, go home, get to rest a bit, and then play again. And keep doing it, travel in there and stuff,” he said. “So I just feel like it flew by so quick. And it’s like pressure games, stressful games. We’re so close to making the playoffs here. But, yeah, playing is always more fun. You enjoy it more definitely. But I know my role. I know why I’m here for, and Gus has been amazing, very consistent, very good, and is a fun guy to cheer for.”

As for the “what’s next” after that final horn blows and the career is officially done, Fleury is keeping options open. He and his family will stay in Minnesota, at least for now. And after his wife and children have had their lives revolve around dad’s career for years, he said it’s time to give back to family.

“I think I want to be home more. I wanna be there for the kids’ birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, whatever,” he said, admitting that a career in team management is more appealing that coaching, at least initially.

“I want to be there with them, and from there, I talked to my wife too. She’s sacrificed a lot for me to play hockey all these years.” Fleury said. “So see what interests her and we’ll see. I still gotta find something, though.”

After a life spent feeling at home in the crease with pucks being shot his way, Fleury will sure find a home and a love doing whatever comes next, and with family at his side.

And without question, he will do it with a smile.

The Penguins left this flower arrangement for Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury near the visitor’s dressing room before Tuesday night’s game between Minnesota and Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena. Twenty-nine is the number Fleury wears with the Wild, and during his 13 years with the Penguins. The Wild won 5-3. (John Shipley / Pioneer Press)
Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Minnesota Wild keeps an eye on the puck behind Andrew Copp #18 of the Detroit Red Wings during the second period at Little Caesars Arena on Feb. 22, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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The 2016 Twins lost 103 games, leading them to the first overall pick and the opportunity to draft Royce Lewis.

The 1988 group recovered from its poor start to finish 20 games over .500. And the 1981 team’s poor start got its manager, Johnny Goryl, fired.

The jury’s still out on how the 2025 Twins will end up, but their dismal start has put them in the company of those three teams. With a 4-0 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Saturday, the Twins now own a 4-11 record, which is tied for the worst in team history through 15 games.

The latest loss, one in which they were shut out by Detroit’s prized pitching prospect, Jackson Jobe, prompted Twins manager Rocco Baldelli to suggest that the Twins could start shaking things up soon.

“You’ve got to shock yourself sometimes and wake yourself up sometimes,” Baldelli said. “We might be pretty close to that because we’ve got to play better baseball, and it’s not just one or two guys.”

But what, exactly, does that mean?

It can mean “a lot of different things,” Baldelli said. And perhaps some of those things will be visible in the coming days.

“Sometimes you’ve got to just not do the same thing every single day,” Baldelli said. “It could mean absolutely anything. I think we could be getting there where we need to make some adjustments, we need to do some different things, try some guys in different spots. And that could be one way of shaking it up a little bit.”

On the roster side, the Twins could be close to welcoming back infielder Brooks Lee, who has been rehabbing with the Triple-A Saints after suffering back spasms during spring training. Lee should help shore up the defense, which has been a sore spot this season.

His return would mean someone’s roster spot is in jeopardy, with Jose Miranda being among the candidates. Miranda is off to a poor start at the plate and did not start on Friday or Saturday, though he did enter late Saturday and made a baserunning mistake.

But beyond simply getting Lee — and eventually Lewis — back won’t be enough for the Twins, who have a long way to go to pull themselves out of the hole they’ve created.

“Everyone goes through challenging times and things like that,” Baldelli said. “You can’t succumb to despair or that emotion when things are just not pumping your way. You’ve got to find a way to just stay positive, bring good energy, work hard, and good things follow.”

Jeffers sits

Christian Vázquez drew his second straight start on Saturday, a rarity for a Twins catcher, because Ryan Jeffers is dealing with a minor thumb injury.

Jeffers, who came in off the bench Friday night, needed medical attention during the game because his finger was bleeding. He was originally supposed to be in the lineup, but Baldelli said the catcher’s thumb had swelled up and he instead received treatment.

“A little blood is something that sometimes in our game happens, but when it started to really swell up and get pretty painful, then we have to act on it,” Baldelli said.

Briefly

The Twins designated reliever Scott Blewett for assignment and recalled left-hander Kody Funderburk, who gave up a two-run home run in Saturday. The Tigers had five left-handed hitters in Saturday’s starting lineup. Funderburk joins Danny Coulombe, who has been used heavily recently, as the two lefties in the Twins’ bullpen. … Simeon Woods Richardson will start the series finale against the Tigers, coming off a start in which he threw a career-high 107 pitches.

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Area residents will have the chance to learn about a proposed multi-use trail running through central Washington County at an open house later this month.

The paved trail, temporarily called the Battle Creek-St. Croix Regional Trail, will run for about 11 miles from Maplewood to Woodbury and Afton, said Connor Schaefer, a senior planner with Washington County Public Works.

The Battle Creek-St. Croix Regional Trail will run through central Washington County from Maplewood to Woodbury and Afton. (Courtesy of Washington County)

Once fully developed, it is expected to connect trail users to regional destinations such as the Central Greenway and St. Croix Valley regional trails, Battle Creek Regional Park and the St. Croix River.

“We hear from the public how much they appreciate the existing trails in our communities, and the hope is that this trail will help set the stage for us to continue to grow and link our trail system,” Schaefer said.

County officials are working to create a detailed vision for the future trail – where it might go, what land is needed, what features it may have and how it will be maintained. On tap for this year: visioning, site analysis, engagement, data collection, route development and plan drafting, Schaefer said.

No funds will be devoted to the implementation of the plan until it is adopted by the Washington County Board and the Metropolitan Council, he said.

In the meantime, county officials are looking forward to hearing what residents would want to see in a trail – and what they might possibly call it, Schaefer said. “Battle Creek-St. Croix Regional Trail is kind of a placeholder name,” he said.

The open house will be 4 to 6 p.m. April 21 at Woodbury City Hall. For more information, go to washingtoncountymn.gov/BattleCreekStCroix.

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Oakland Park residents Jim and Chris Guld are about to sell their home and travel around the world, living full-time aboard a cruise ship called Villa Vie Odyssey.

Will it be exciting? Yes. Expensive? Kind of. Tight?

Well, the Gulds say they’re not worried about feeling cramped inside of a 140-square-foot stateroom for the 15-year option they just purchased. They recently spent 14 years together in a recreational vehicle, hitting each of the lower 48 states.

“We will not be in our room very much,” Chris says. “Every morning I plan to walk up the three decks to the gym where there’s an exercise class. And there’s the buffet where we will eat, and there’s entertainment in the afternoon.”

That might get boring after awhile if not for the port calls. The ship’s itinerary includes stops at 425 ports in more than 140 countries over the 3 1/2-year “Continual World Cruise.” The Gulds plan to get on the ship during its April 20 stop at the Colombian port of Cartagena and stay aboard for at least seven years, and longer if they love it.

The ship is currently in its seventh month sailing as the flagship of a Pembroke Pines-based company called Villa Vie Residences that the Gulds say offers the only affordable option for living on the sea. The company caters to people who truly want to get away from it all while still remaining connected through the Starlink internet service.

Mikael Petterson, the company’s chairman, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday that 354 of 480 cabins have been sold to long-term residents since the company purchased the Villa Vie Odyssey, built in 1993, from Fred Olsen Cruise Lines in 2023.

“We are looking forward to having Jim and Chris onboard,” Petterson said. “We are sure they will love it.”

A life of tech and travel together

The Gulds seem uniquely well-suited for permanent life aboard a cruise ship.

They met while Chris, now 72, operated a computer training center called Computer Savvy on Oakland Park Boulevard with her mother in the 1980s and 90s. Local companies would send employees for training on programs like WordPerfect, Novell NetWare, and Microsoft’s Excel and Access.

Jim, now 71, worked for a Deerfield Beach company, building, installing and networking personal computers. Chris purchased computers from the company for her training center, and Jim showed up to service them.

“So he had to keep coming back,” Chris said. Eventually, Chris hired Jim away from his company to focus full-time on her business.

They bonded over their mutual love of scuba diving, computers and travel. A few years after Chris sold the center and “retired” in the late 1990s, they sold their first Oakland Park house and bought an RV. They spent 14 years from 2003 to 2017 traveling the country, holding seminars to teach RV enthusiasts how to get on the internet, and creating computer training videos for a company they founded called Geeks on Tour.

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Subscribers to the Geeks on Tour website get access to a long list of class presentations, learning guides and tips. But anyone can click on more than 900 videos the couple has posted over the years, mostly while wearing their trademark propeller beanies.

Their earliest videos were a mix of travelogues and tutorials for types of software that travelers would use to take, upload and geotag photos, set up travel blogs, assign drive letters to external USB drives, and navigate highways.

More recently, their videos focus on smartphone apps, including how to shoot time-lapse video, use Google’s photo app, communicate over Zoom, and use WiFi calling if cellular service goes down.

Video bloggers amok

After seven years in another Oakland Park home, the couple is itching to travel again — but without the headaches of traffic and shopping.

The Gulds plan to continue to post training videos from the ship that show how they respond to challenges that arise as they visit the various ports on the ship’s itinerary. They’ve already started sharing their plans with their 16,700 YouTube subscribers and just under 1,000 paid Geeks on Tour members.

They won’t be alone using the internet to work on the ship, Jim says. A large number of the ship’s cabins are occupied by solo travelers who make their livings working remotely.

Like the Gulds, many shoot and post videos. A search for the ship on YouTube turns up several accounts — Living Life on a Cruise, MidLife Cruising, and DC Hidden Gems — by residents documenting their lives aboard the ship.

The cruise line offers a variety of pricing options, depending on the chosen size of living quarters and tour length.

Residents can purchase for up to 15 years or rent their cabins for shorter periods. Purchasers have the option of selling back unused portions of their residency terms, trading up to larger, more expensive cabins, or leasing or selling their space “with the potential of receiving a net return on your investment,” according to the company’s website.

The Gulds learned about the ship by following one of its residents, Randy Cassingham, longtime author of an online entertainment newsletter, This Is True. Cassingham started a blog called Residential Cruising after moving aboard the Villa Vie Odyssey last year.

“Jim said, ‘Take a look at this website about living on a cruise ship,’” Chris said. “And I looked at it and said, ‘OK!’”

Finding the right price

The couple said they were initially interested in buying a cabin with a balcony. But the company wanted $340,000 for a balcony cabin, plus $8,000 a month for amenities such as food, entertainment, health-club use and laundry services.

During a weeklong “try before you buy” sailing, the Gulds tried out a 140-square-foot cabin with a window and no balcony.

“Thankfully, I decided that I liked that because that was only only $170,000 up front and $5,000 a month,” Chris said. “At that rate, we might actually be saving money compared to all that we spent on travel last year.”

While on the “try it” trip, the couple says they met and were impressed with many of the residents who are experts in their chosen fields. They keep each other entertained by giving seminars and TED talks, the Gulds said.

“One guy used to be an emergency medical technician, so he gave a talk about what that’s like,” Chris said. “One was a marine biologist that gave a talk about whales.”

One amenity that won’t be available: casinos. “They actually had a poll,” Jim said, “and they asked the residents if they would consider having a casino. And they said, not just ‘no.’”

“They said, ‘hell, no,’” added Chris.

Not everyone was happy about the Gulds’ life-changing decision. While Chris has no children, Jim has a son from his previous marriage who lives near the couple.

“He was not for it at all at the very beginning when he first heard about it,” Jim said. “He thought that it was just a horrible thing that we were going to leave him.”

“But hey, he’s 44 years old, you know?” Chris said.

She added, “We’re still, in our opinion, fairly young. And we’re healthy, but we’re definitely getting older, so if we want to have one more chapter in our adventure, this is the time to do it. This is the next chapter.”

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