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Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Fash Walken sums it up pretty well. After 108 posts, not a single one presents a persuasive reason for Fleury not to be formally acknowledged in front of Flames fans.

As others have said, it says much more about the organization than it does about him.

Because those who own the franchise, and have owned the franchise since inception and some who have since passed, have first had knowledge and awareness of how they stood up for him time and again and again, putting thier own personal reputations on the line, and him and his ego failed them, time and again,along with showing no respect or humility.

Of course this isn't about on ice stats or on ice play. It's also not a couple incidents where he got out of line. It was a constant struggle.

His battles with addiction, supported by the Flames organization bending over backward, tirades against fellow players and coaches, and over and over having the owners having to keep things quiet when Theo goes off.

When he left, crapped all over the owners and players with no humility. He goes to NYC where he doesn't have that protection, and falls further into the abyss. Gets assigned a chaperone (which he probably had here, just a lot quieter, along with some friendly CP's officers that would help out the Flames) into a fight at a strip club with his team appointed chaperone when with the Hawks.

And no gratitude, ever, playing days or not.ever thought he was paid enough or recognized enough by the team, coaches, players.

Year and years later, the Flames then finally relent and reinstate him out of his league imposed suspension from Chicago, so he could get a NHL pension, and reluctantly let him suit up Ike a side show in preseason. Months later he rips that same team with the disillusion that he would be a better fit.

That wasn't a new shocking outburst, it was just one that managed to get out, unlike all the other crapping he did on his teammates and franchise when here, and which got him in trouble on the team. It was just par for the course.

This day and age his issues couldn't be hidden from the public eye. The team doesn't have the same control of the press they did, and the media spotlight is 1000x brighter., especially when travelling now. Duha talked about the reporters sitting at the front of the bus so they didn't have to talk with an drunk and obnoxious Fleury. Everyone knew he was drunk but no way did the beat writers let that out if they wanted to keep their position.

Theo talks about Gaudreau not making it in his day, well, he wouldn't be anywhere near the NHL with the way the development system has evolved, off ice training in the years leading up to draft year, nevermind the increased awareness of substance abuse and programs that he would be in awhile in junior, which would prevent him from being on a big league roster.

Only a few people know all the stories, but Theo has no one else to blame. It's nice to be nostalgic and wipe away some of the bad things with the emergence of time, but I guarantee, the people that had to deal with him in the 90s to keep him happy, keep the team from falling apart due to his antics, to keep this guy from falling onto a very dark place himself, and keep himself on the right side of the law, will never forget the stress he caused them day in and day out. Nevermind he loss of his on ice talent, people at the top of the organization have not and will not forget all the thing he said and did to constantly make himself the centre of attention and force the organization and owners personally to diffuse situations that he got himself and indirectly the team and the organization, into...and his bitterness never really, underneath his odd praise of the team, gone away.

His jersey not being worn again is a nod from the team to his on ice accomplishment while wearing it. A ceremony to officially retire that means more, if to just the owners, who pay the bills and had to deal with th guy, as to being a great teammate, person in the community, and Ambassador of the team, at the very least. Theo falls well short of that distinction, again, from those that have been associated with the clubs for his team here and before.