Three Years Later, Fleury's Mask Still Has Something to Say
Every once in a while, an old hockey story refuses to stay old. Three years ago, Marc-André Fleury put on a goalie mask before a Minnesota Wild game and, in a very quiet way, challenged the NHL. The mask had been designed by Dakota artist Cole Redhorse Taylor to honour Fleury's wife and her Indigenous heritage. The NHL didn't want him wearing it because of its policy against specialty equipment connected to theme nights. Fleury wore it anyway during warmups.
At the time, the argument seemed to be about a goalie mask. Looking back, it was really about something much bigger: who gets to decide which symbols are appropriate in hockey. That's why the story still catches my attention.
The NHL seems to be looking at these symbols differently.
The interesting thing is that the NHL's relationship with cultural symbols has continued to evolve. The Montreal Canadiens, for example, have shown what can happen when a team works with Indigenous artists and communities rather than simply treating cultural symbolism as a problem to be managed. Their Indigenous Celebration Night included a warm-up jersey featuring Haudenosaunee symbolism, with the organization explaining the meaning behind the imagery.
And now the NHL is introducing Hometown Remix for the 2026-27 season, with all 32 teams getting special-edition designs intended to celebrate local culture and identity. That certainly feels different from the environment Fleury was pushing against.
Which raises an interesting question.
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Did Fleury's little act of defiance matter?
The answer is yes. And maybe more than anybody realized at the time. The mask itself eventually became part of the historical record. The Minnesota Historical Society acquired it after it was auctioned, recognizing its significance not simply as hockey equipment but as an object sitting at the intersection of Indigenous art, sports and cultural politics.
That's quite a legacy for something that started as a goalie wanting to honour his wife's heritage. The Old Prof in me likes these stories because hockey is never just hockey. We like to think the game is about skating, shooting and stopping pucks. It is. But hockey is also about identity, belonging and the symbols people carry with them.
Good on Marc-André Fleury for making a statement.
Fleury didn't change the NHL by himself. But he did something perhaps more important. He made the league stop and think about what those symbols mean — and who gets to wear them. Three years later, that doesn't seem like such a small thing anymore.