Originally Posted by wretched34
Retiring a players number is based on team value, what they brought on the ice.
Both Fleury and Iginla were faces of this franchise. They were both All-Stars, time and time again.
The argument here seems to be surrounding who the person is off the ice. In a fact that Fleury had issues, both mentally and physically, including drug and alcohol problems.
So why not compare the people as to their off ice lives.
Fleury grew up poor, with an alcoholic truck driver father, and a drug addict mother. He later dealt with years of sexual abuse in the hockey world (it's incredible he even continued to play hockey).
Iginla was born to a Lawyer Father and massage therapist/teacher mother, who divorced when he was 1. In addition to hockey, Iginla was also the catcher for Canada's national junior team.
Personally, seems Iggy had far more support and opportunities in his early life.
Now, turn to hockey, and the Flames in General, since this is the team we are talking about.
Everyone says Iggy is a shoe in for a retired number, and it would be outrageous if his number wasn't retired. Iginla played in a total of 1273 games in the flaming C, accumulating a team leading 1144 points, or a 0.89 PPG total.
Fleury played a grand total of 850 games as a Flame, accumulating 892 points, or a 1.04 PPG Total. He also won a stanley cup with the team.
To say the player who brought more on the ice for the Flames isn't as worthy because he was more vocal, and outspoken, and had demons in the public eye is less deserving of recognition from the team he anchored and loved for over a decade, is disgusting.
The man went through hell and back off the ice, and still brought it on the ice, game in and game out.
His number belongs in the rafters just as much as Iginla's.
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