Theoren Fleury

Theoren Fleury
Born	(1968-06-29) June 29, 1968 Oxbow, SK, CAN
Height	5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Calgary Flames Tappara Colorado Avalanche New York Rangers Chicago Blackhawks Belfast Giants
National team	Canada
NHL draft	166th overall, 1987 Calgary Flames
Playing career	1987–2009

Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury (born June 29, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), Tappara in Finland and the Belfast Giants in Great Britain. He was drafted by the Flames in the 8th round, 166th overall, of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. He played over 1000 games in the NHL between 1989 and 2003.

At times the smallest player in the NHL, Fleury played a physical style, often leading to altercations. As a junior, he was at the centre of the infamous Punch-up in Piestany, a brawl that saw both Canada and the Soviet Union disqualified from the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Once considered unlikely to play in the NHL due to his size, Fleury scored over 1000 points in his career and won the Stanley Cup in 1989 with the Flames. He twice represented Canada at the Winter Olympics, and won a gold medal in 2002. He battled drug and alcohol addictions throughout his career, which ultimately forced him out of the NHL in 2003. He played one season in the British Elite Ice Hockey League in 2005–06 and made two attempts to win the Allan Cup. He attempted an NHL comeback with the Flames in 2009 before choosing to retire.

Outside of hockey, Fleury overcame his addictions and operated a concrete business in Calgary with his family and filmed a pilot for a reality television show based around it. He marketed his own brand of clothing, which led him to play two professional baseball games for the Calgary Vipers of the Golden Baseball League. He hosts an annual charity golf tournament in support of the Crohn's and Colitis foundation of Canada, helping to raise over $1 million since he was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 1995. Fleury co-wrote the book Playing with Fire, a biography of his life released in October 2009, in which he made allegations that he had been sexually abused by former coach Graham James. It is the second book to be written about Fleury.

Early life

Fleury was born on June 29, 1968 in Oxbow, Saskatchewan, Canada. He is the first of three sons to Wally and Donna Fleury, born on the family farm near Oxbow. Wally was himself a hockey player whose dreams of a professional career ended when he broke his leg playing baseball in the summer of 1963, an injury that helped fuel a drinking problem. Donna was a quiet, religious woman who battled drug additions for many years. Fleury is of Métis heritage, as his grandmother Mary was Cree. The Fleurys moved to Williams Lake, British Columbia for four years, where Theo's brother Ted was born in 1970, before settling in Russell, Manitoba by 1973, the year his youngest brother Travis was born. Wally worked as a truck driver and maintenance worker at the arena in Russell.

Always one of the smallest kids in his class and lacking stable supervision at home, Fleury adopted an aggressive posture, and later described himself as a bully. He turned to hockey as an outlet when he borrowed an old pair of skates and a broken stick to play his first game at the age of five. From that point on, he grew up skating and playing hockey at every opportunity, often accompanying his father to the arena in Russell in the pre-dawn hours. He was described by his teachers as a determined youth, who would repeat any activity he failed at until he got it right.

Although his mother was a Jehovah's Witness, Fleury was Roman Catholic. He attended mass from age six to 12, serving as a alter boy until the church's priest died of a heart attack, costing Fleury one of his earliest positive influences. Always lacking money and a stable home, Fleury received the support of the community, in particular the Peltz family in Russell, who always ensured that he and his brothers were fed, and bought them new clothes when required. In January 1982, Fleury's dreams of playing in the NHL nearly ended at the age of 13 when he suffered a deep cut under his arm during a game that severed his brachial artery. He missed nearly a year of contact hockey as a result. Five months after the incident, the community raised money to send Fleury to the Andy Murray Hockey School in Brandon, Manitoba. It was there that Fleury met Graham James, who was working as a scout for the Winnipeg Warriors of the Western Hockey League. James told Fleury that he had the skill to play in the NHL despite his size, and promised to recruit him to play junior hockey for the Warriors.

Playing career

Junior

Fleury began his junior career as a 15-year-old with the St. James Canadians of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in 1983–84, scoring 33 goals and 64 points in 22 games. He moved onto the Moose Jaw Warriors, who had just relocated from Winnipeg, scoring 29 goals and 75 points in 71 games as a 16-year-old in 1984–85. He improved his totals in each of his four years in the WHL, culminating with a 68 goal, 92 assist season in 1987–88. Fleury's 160 points tied him for the league lead with Joe Sakic, and the two players shared the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL's top scorers. Fleury's 92 assists and 160 points remain team records; he also holds the Warriors' career records for goals (201), assists (271) and points (472). As of 2009, he remains 10th all-time in WHL scoring.

In junior, Fleury learned that he had to play an unpredictable style of game in order to survive against players much larger than he was. He found that the best way to protect himself was to intimidate his opponents, and to be a little "crazy" on the ice. The style he adopted led to a lot of retaliatory penalties, and several arguments with his coaches. He recorded 235 penalties in minutes in his final year of junior, nearly 100 more than any other player in the top ten in WHL scoring. Fleury retained this style of play throughout his hockey career, routinely getting the better of opponents who believed their size advantage would intimidate him.

"The boys are up for the gold medal. Everybody is so tense. Tempers are flying. It's really tough out there... I can't believe it. It's so tense. It's so tense."

Fleury describes atmosphere of Canada's game vs. the Soviet Union to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during the first intermission, prior to the brawl.

Fleury twice represented Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships. He first joined the team for the 1987 tournament in Piešťany, Czechoslovakia. The tournament is best remembered for the "Punch-up in Piestany" on January 4, 1987, an infamous bench-clearing brawl between the Canadians and the Soviet Union. Fleury scored the first goal of the game, and as part of his celebration, used his stick to mimic firing a machine gun at the Soviet bench, a move that was criticized by Canadian officials. The brawl began early in the second period with Canada leading 4–2 when Pavel Kostichkin slashed Fleury, leading to a fight between the two. It quickly escalated into a line brawl between all skaters on the ice before the Soviet players left their bench, followed closely by the Canadians. The violent brawl resulted in the disqualification of both teams, costing Fleury and the Canadians a medal, and potentially the gold.

The International Ice Hockey Federation suspended all players involved from participating in international tournaments for 18-months in the aftermath of the brawl, though the bans were later reduced to six months on appeal allowing Fleury to participate in the 1988 tournament in Moscow. He was named captain of the team, finished second in team scoring with eight points in seven games and was named a tournament all-star in helping Canada to the gold medal.

Despite scoring 129 points for the Warriors in 1986–87, Fleury's small stature led many teams to doubt that he could play in the NHL. The Calgary Flames drafted him in the 8th round, 166th overall in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. Upon completing his junior season in 1988, Fleury signed his first professional contract, worth C$415,000, and joined the Flames International Hockey League (IHL) affiliate, the Salt Lake Golden Eagles. He scored seven points in two regular season games, then 16 more in eight playoff games as the Eagles won the Turner Cup championship.

Calgary Flames

Fleury arrived to Flames' training camp 20 pounds overweight, and was subsequently assigned back to Salt Lake to begin the 1988–89 season. He averaged nearly two points a game in the IHL, recording 37 goals and 37 assists to lead the IHL in scoring after 40 games. Mired in a slump, the Flames recalled Fleury on January 1, 1989, in the hopes he could help the team's offence. He played his first NHL game against the Quebec Nordiques two nights later and recorded his first points – three assists – on January 5 against the Los Angeles Kings. Fleury scored his first two NHL goals in a 7–2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on January 7. He continued to score at the NHL level, recording 34 points in 36 games in his rookie season. He added 11 more points in the playoffs, helping the Flames to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.

After scoring 33 goals in his first full season, Fleury broke out in 1990–91, scoring 51 goals and 104 points to lead the Flames in scoring. He played in his first NHL All-Star Game, scoring a goal in an 11–5 victory by the Campbell Conference over the Wales Conference. Towards the end of the season, Fleury set a league record by scoring three shorthanded goals in one game against the St. Louis Blues. He shared the NHL Plus-Minus Award with Marty McSorley, as the two players tied for the league lead at +48. Fleury scored only two goals in the 1991 Stanley Cup Playoffs, however his overtime winner in game six against the Oilers saw him famously slide the entire length of the ice in jubilation before crashing into the boards as his teammates attempted to catch up to him. The Flames were defeated in game seven by the Oilers, ending their season.

Fleury fell back to 33 goals in 1991–92 as the Flames missed the playoffs. He made his second All-Star Game appearance, recording a goal for the Campbell Conference. Fleury recorded his second 100 point season in 1992–93 to lead the team in scoring. During the season, he set a franchise record by going +9 in a 13–1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on February 10, 1993 as he scored six points.

The 1994–95 NHL lockout reduced the season to 48 games from 84. During the lockout, Fleury played for Tappara in Finland's top league, the SM-liiga. He recorded 17 points in ten games before the NHL's labour dispute was resolved, bringing him back to Calgary. Late in the season, Fleury recorded two goals and an assist against the Oilers on March 31, 1995 to surpass the 500 point mark for his career.

Fleury stands beside Jarome Iginla prior to a game. Fleury was the franchise scoring leader for ten years until he was passed by Iginla in 2009.

Lacking a contract prior to the 1995–96 season, Fleury staged a brief hold-out during training camp before signing a five-year, $12 million contract extension with the Flames. Fleury agreed to take less money than he could have gotten on the open market out of loyalty to the franchise that had given him his opportunity in the NHL. He missed much of the pre-season with a stomach ailment, but was able to join the team for the season opener. Although he felt like somebody was "stabbing a knife in my gut every five minutes", Fleury had played every game for the Flames when he revealed in December 1995 that he had been diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and doctors had finally found the correct medication to control it. Despite the ailment, Fleury led the team in goals, assists and points, and played in his third All-Star Game serving as Calgary's only representative.

When Joe Nieuwendyk refused to report to the Flames prior to the 1995 season, they named Fleury interim captain. It was made permanent when Nieuwendyk was traded in December. Fleury was reluctant to assume the captaincy, but did so out of loyalty to the team and because there was nobody else on the team capable of taking on the role. He relinquished the captaincy two seasons later after deciding that it was harming his play on the ice, and affecting his relationship with his teammates and coach Pierre Pagé.

The Flames struggled in 1996–97, finishing last in the Pacific Division, and missed the playoffs for only the second time since their arrival in Calgary in 1980. Fleury again led the team in scoring, but his 29 goals was the fewest he had scored in a full season in the NHL. He was the Flames lone representative at the 1997 All-Star Game. He fell to 27 goals in 1997–98, but increased his point total from 67 to 78 while also leading the team with 197 penalties in minutes. Early in the season, on November 29, 1997, Fleury scored his 315th career goal, breaking Nieuwendyk's franchise record for career goals. It was the same day as he was named to team Canada for the 1998 Winter Olympics. Fleury participated in his fifth All-Star Game that season, but the Flames again missed the playoffs.

"A piece of my heart left today, but the biggest part is here in Calgary and always will be."

An emotional Fleury discusses the trade that ended his 11-year career with the Flames.

On February 19, 1999, Fleury surpassed Al MacInnis as the Flames franchise scoring leader when he scored his 823rd career point. He held the record for ten years until surpassed by Jarome Iginla in 2009. The Flames, who had been struggling financially and unable to sign Fleury to a new contract, chose to trade him less than two weeks after breaking the record rather than risk losing him to free agency. Fleury was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche on February 28 for René Corbet, Wade Belak and Robyn Regehr. Although it was expected, the trade shocked fans in Calgary. His popularity in Calgary was such that during a game in 1999, after Fleury was sent off the ice to change a bloody jersey, a fan threw his own jersey over the boards so that Fleury would not miss a shift. He put the jersey on before realizing it was autographed and handed it back.

The trade was viewed as another sign that small-market, Canadian teams could no longer compete in the NHL. The economics of the game had changed such that the Flames felt they had to deal their top player despite being just two points out of a playoff spot. Following the trade, Fleury said that any team looking to sign him to a new contract would have to pay him $7 million a year. In his autobiography, Playing with Fire, Fleury claims that he was offered $16 million over four years by the Flames before the trade, and countered with an offer of $25 million over five years. He touched off a wave of anger upon signing in New York when he claimed he was unappreciated in Calgary, comments he later stated were directed at the team's owners, and not the fans whom he said supported him from day one.

Colorado, New York and Chicago

One day after the trade, Fleury made his debut for the Avalanche, and was met with loud cheers from the Denver crowd. He scored a goal in a 4–3 loss to Edmonton, but also sprained his knee and missed two weeks due to the injury. Fleury missed only seven games during his entire 11-year career in Calgary. He played in 15 regular season games for the Avalanche, scoring 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points and another 5 goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 18 playoff games before the Avalanche were eliminated by the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Finals.

The Avalanche chose not to re-sign Fleury, leading him to join the New York Rangers on a three-year contract worth $21 million that included a club option for a fourth year at $7 million. Fleury's first year in Manhattan was a disappointment. He scored only 15 goals in 1999–2000, having struggled under the pressure of trying to lead the Rangers into the playoffs and in adapting to life in New York. He voluntarily entered a league operated program that treats substance abuse and emotional problems after the season, though he denied it had any effect on his play.

Fleury rebounded to score 30 goals for the Rangers in 2000–01 and participated in his seventh All-Star Game. He scored his 400th NHL goal on November 4, 2000 in a 5–2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Fleury was leading his team, and fourth in the league, with 74 points in 62 games when it was announced that he had again entered the league's substance abuse program. The decision ended his season. Fleury explained prior to the 2001–02 season that continued to struggle with substance abuse, and had difficulty adapting to life in Manhattan after growing up in a Canadian prairie town of 1,500. Fleury played all 82 games for the Rangers in 2001–02, but his problems affected his behavior on the ice. Upon taking a penalty in a January 2002 game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Fleury simply left the arena rather than skate to the penalty box, an action for which he later apologized to his teammates, claiming he was deeply stressed by problems he was having with his family. Two weeks later, Fleury was fined $1,000 for making an obcene gesture toward fans of the New York Islanders who had been taunting him over his drug use. Towards the end of February, Fleury lashed out against the league's officials. He claimed they were not judging him fairly, and threatened to retire. The league angrily dismissed Fleury's complaints. He ended the season having reached a personal milestone, however. On October 27, 2002, Fleury assisted on a goal by Mike York, scoring the 1000th point of his NHL career. The Rangers presented him with a silver stick in honour of the achievement.

Following the season, the Rangers chose not to exercise their option, and traded his playing rights to San Jose, which gave the Sharks a compensatory draft pick if Fleury signed elsewhere. As a free agent, he signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Two days prior to the opening of the 2002–03 season, Fleury was suspended by the NHL for violating the terms of his aftercare program. Attempting to help Fleury, the Blackhawks hired one of his friends, also a recovering alcoholic, to ensure that he attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and abided by the terms of the NHL's aftercare program.

Fleury missed the first two months of the season before gaining reinstatement. While out with teammates in January 2003, Fleury was involved in a drunken brawl with bouncers at a strip club in Columbus, Ohio that left him bloodied, a night he does not remember and which he described as among the lowest points in his life. Fleury was not initially suspended, but the incident helped lead to a collapse in the standings by the Blackhawks, who placed him on waivers in March. Fleury finished the season with the Hawks, and recorded 12 goals and 21 assists in 54 games. Following the season, in April 2003, he was suspended again by the league for violations of its substance abuse program. The suspension ended his NHL career.

Senior hockey and the Belfast Giants

In January 2005, Fleury announced that he had joined his cousin Todd Holt, as well as former NHL players, Gino Odjick, Sasha Lakovic and Dody Wood, in playing for the Horse Lake Thunder of the North Peace Hockey League with the hopes of winning the Allan Cup, Canada's national senior amateur championship. He also hoped to help kids on the Horse Lake First Nation. He was initially barred from playing by Hockey Alberta, which ruled that Fleury was ineligible to play senior hockey in 2004–05 because he had been signed to a professional contract in the 2003–04 season. Hockey Alberta denied an appeal, citing a new policy the organization had put in effect to prevent players who were not playing due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout from joining senior teams. Hockey Alberta reversed its decision on a second appeal after the NHL and National Hockey League Players Association both agreed that Fleury was considered a free agent by the league, and not a locked-out player. Fleury played his first game for the Thunder on January 22, 2005, scoring a goal and two assists.

Fleury remained embroiled in controversy at the 2005 Allan Cup tournament. The Thunder were repeatedly accused of paying players despite being an amateur team, and Fleury angrily denied rumours that he was secretly being paid $100,000 to play. After the Thunder, who were extremely unpopular with the fans during the tournament, were eliminated in the semi-finals, he accused the fans of racism, and threatened to return his 2002 Olympic gold medal in anger: "The one thing that's really bothered me through this whole thing is the prejudice, still, in this country when it comes to native people. I've seen it first-hand in every building we go into, how these people are treated, and it's absolutely embarrassing to be a Canadian and know that stuff is still going on."

For the 2005–06 season, Fleury was convinced by a friend to move to Northern Ireland to play with the Belfast Giants of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL). He scored three goals and added four assists and a fight in his first game, against the Edinburgh Capitals. Fleury scored 22 goals and 52 assists in 34 games, as Belfast won the regular season league title. Described as the "most talented" player to ever play in Great Britain, Fleury was named the Player of the Year in the EIHL and voted a first team All-Star by the British Ice Hockey Writers Association. Fleury engaged in arguments with visiting fans, as well as officials, which led him to declare he would not return to Belfast in 2006–07.

In late 2008, Fleury joined his brother Ted with the Steinbach North Stars in a second bid to win the Allan Cup. He played 13 league games with the North Stars, scoring eight goals and 19 assists. At the 2009 Allan Cup tournament, Fleury recorded a goal and an assist to lead the host North Stars to a 5–0 win in their opening game. He finished tied for the lead in tournament scoring at seven points. The North Stars lost in the semi-finals to the South East Prairie Thunder, 4–2.

NHL comeback attempt

Unhappy with how his NHL career ended, and sober for nearly four years, Fleury hired a personal trainer in February 2009 and began an attempt to return to the NHL. By August, he petitioned Commissioner Gary Bettman to have his suspension lifted. After meeting with Bettman, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and league doctors, it was announced on September 10th that Fleury had been reinstated by the league. Two days later, Fleury accepted a try-out offer from the Flames. He made his return to the NHL in an exhibition game in Calgary against the New York Islanders on September 17 on a line with Daymond Langkow and Nigel Dawes. Fleury was met with loud cheers throughout the game, and scored the only goal in a shootout to give the Flames a 5-4 win. After the game, he saluted the crowd as the fans chanted "Theo! Theo! Theo!" Three nights later, he scored a goal and an assist in a 5–2 victory over the Florida Panthers.

Fleury played four exhibition games, scoring four points, before being released by the Flames. General Manager Darryl Sutter expressed his pride in Fleury's attempt and commended his effort, but decided Fleury was not one of the top six wingers in camp, which they had agreed was necessary for Fleury's tryout to continue. On September 28th, 2009, Fleury announced his retirement at a news conference at the Saddledome. He thanked the Flames for allowing him to attempt the comeback, and expressed satisfaction at how his career ended. "I get to retire a Calgary Flame. I HAD to retire a Calgary Flame. It’s been a long journey. It’s time to put down some roots. And there’s no better place than here" said Fleury of his decision not to look for an offer from another team.

International

Theoren Fleury

Medal record
Representing Canada
Men's ice hockey
World Junior Championships
	1988 Soviet Union	Ice hockey
World Championships
	1991 Finland	Ice hockey
Canada Cup
	1991 Canada Cup	Ice hockey
World Cup
	1996 World Cup of Hockey	Ice hockey
Olympic Games
	2002 Salt Lake City	Ice hockey

Fleury made his debut with the Canadian senior team at the 1990 World Hockey Championships, scoring 11 points in nine games for the fourth place Canadians. He he returned the following year, helping Canada win the silver medal at the 1991 tournament in spite of a knee injury. His 51 goal season in the NHL in 1990–91 also earned Fleury a spot on the Canadian team at the 1991 Canada Cup. He scored a goal and added four assists in seven games as the Canadians finished as tournament champions. Five years later, Fleury played in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, the successor tournament to the Canada Cup. He finished fourth in the tournament with four goals, but Canada finished in second place after giving up four goals in the final four minutes of the championship game against the American team.

National Hockey League players were first allowed to participate in the Olympic ice hockey tournament at the 1998 games. Invited to join Canada's "Dream Team", Fleury described his selection as a highlight of his life. He scored a goal for Canada, who lost their semi-final match-up against the Czech Republic in a shootout. Four years later, Fleury was invited by General Manager Wayne Gretzky to participate in Canada's selection camp for the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. The invitation was controversial, as Fleury's behavioural and substance abuse issues while a member of the New York Rangers had come to light in the months prior to the team being named. Hoping to justify Gretzky's support and knowing that he would be kicked off the team if he failed, Fleury refrained from drinking or taking drugs during the 2001–02 NHL season, describing himself as a "dry drunk". He recorded two assists in six games as the Canadian hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal in 50 years. Fleury described the championship as being the pinnacle of his career.

Off the ice

Fleury played in two games with baseball's Calgary Vipers in 2008

Fleury continued to battle drug and alcohol addictions, revealing in a November 2004 interview with Rogers Sportsnet television that he had not yet overcome the problems that ended his NHL career a year and a half earlier. He credits his second wife, Jennifer, with turning his life around after they met when he was playing for Horse Lake in 2005. They were married in September 2006, a year after Fleury quit drinking, and have a daughter, Skylah. Fleury also has a son and daughter, Beaux and Tatym, from his relationship with his first wife Veronica, as well as a son, Josh, born in 1987 to his high school girlfriend, Shannon.

Fleury has been involved in numerous ventures over time. In 1994, he joined a group that involved his former junior coach, Graham James, fellow NHL player Joe Sakic and professional wrestler Bret Hart as a minority owner of the expansion Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League. He sold his share of the team to the Flames in 1997 in the aftermath of James' conviction for sexually abusing Sheldon Kennedy and another player. After returning from Ireland, he operated Fleury's Concrete Coatings, a concrete sealing business he started with his wife Jennifer and brother Travis and operated until it closed in 2009. He filmed a pilot episode in 2007 for a reality TV series based around his concrete business called Theoren Fleury: Rock Solid. "We want to show people that if you have a dream, anything is possible with a little ambition," Fleury said of the premise of the series.

The launch of a line of clothing called "FAKE" (Fleury's Artistic Kustom Enterprises) in 2008 led him to approach the Calgary Vipers of the independent Golden Baseball League hoping to convince the team to use his brand of practice jerseys. The conversation led to talk of Fleury suiting up in a game for the Vipers. He made his professional baseball debut on August 9, 2008 at the age of 40, hitting a single in a pinch-hit appearance against the Yuma Scorpions in the first game of a doubleheader. Fleury started the second game at left field, striking out twice before he was replaced. "I've had so many things happen in my life already that I sometimes surprise myself with the things I've done, the things I've accomplished. This was just another one of those days," Fleury said of his appearance with the Vipers.

In an effort to give back to the community, Fleury has organized or participated in numerous charitable causes. He launched a hockey school in the mid 1990s that ran for seven years in Calgary, and then another eight in his hometown of Russell, donating the proceeds to the minor hockey associations. Following his diagnosis with Crohn's Disease in 1995, Fleury joined up with the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada to host an annual golf tournament in Calgary. The event has raised over $1 million, and is one of the largest fundraising events for the organization in the Calgary area. Fleury participates in Flames Alumni events, and volunteers with the Calgary Dream Centre, an organization that helps people regain their sobriety and their lives.

Autobiography

With the help of Kirstie McLellan Day, Fleury wrote his autobiography, titled Playing With Fire, which was released on October 16, 2009. In the tell-all book, he revealed allegations that he was sexually abused by Graham James over a period of two years after being recruited by the hockey coach. While he stated he "doesn't want to become the poster boy for abuse by James", Fleury hoped that speaking out might make it easier for other childhood sexual abuse victims to come forward. He claimed that James' abuse turned him into a "raging, alcoholic lunatic", and that he placed a loaded gun in his mouth and contemplated suicide in 2004. He revealed how spent most of his income on alcohol, drugs, gambling and women. Fleury also claimed that he failed 13 consecutive drug tests while playing for the Rangers, but that the league did not want to remove him from the game because he was a leading scorer. The league challenged the accuracy of Fleury's recollections, and stated that the NHL's substance abuse program functioned appropriately.

Playing With Fire became the top seller on Amazon.ca within its first week of release, and Fleury stated that he had been contacted by several sexual abuse victims who were motivated by his book to seek help. He also revealed he was contemplating a criminal complaint against James, and had begun working with an organization dedicated to helping male sexual abuse victims. Fleury was surprised that his story became the top selling non-fiction book in Canada; he and his wife were unable to keep up with the mail they were receiving without help. It is the second book about Fleury's life, following Fury, released in 1997, and which hid a lot of the problems Fleury was facing at the time.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1983–84	St. James Canadians	MJHL		22	31	33	64	88
1984–85	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL		71	29	46	75	82		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL		72	43	65	108	124		13	7	13	20	16
1986–87	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL		66	61	68	129	110		9	7	9	16	34
1987–88	Moose Jaw Warriors	WHL		65	68	92	160	235		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	IHL		2	3	4	7	7		8	11	5	16	16
1988–89	Salt Lake Golden Eagles	IHL		40	37	37	74	81		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Calgary Flames	NHL		36	14	20	34	46		22	5	6	11	24
1989–90	Calgary Flames	NHL		80	31	35	66	157		6	2	3	5	10
1990–91	Calgary Flames	NHL		79	51	53	104	136		7	2	5	7	14
1991–92	Calgary Flames	NHL		80	33	40	73	133		—	—	—	—	—
1992–93	Calgary Flames	NHL		83	34	66	100	88		6	5	7	12	27
1993–94	Calgary Flames	NHL		83	40	45	85	186		7	6	4	10	5
1994–95	Tappara	SM-l		10	8	9	17	22		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Calgary Flames	NHL		47	29	29	58	112		7	7	7	14	2
1995–96	Calgary Flames	NHL		80	46	50	96	112		4	2	1	3	14
1996–97	Calgary Flames	NHL		81	29	38	67	104		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Calgary Flames	NHL		82	27	51	78	197		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Calgary Flames	NHL		60	30	39	69	68		—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Colorado Avalanche	NHL		15	10	14	24	18		18	5	12	17	20
1999–00	New York Rangers	NHL		80	15	49	64	68		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	New York Rangers	NHL		62	30	44	74	122		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	New York Rangers	NHL		82	24	39	63	216		—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		54	12	21	33	77		—	—	—	—	—
2004–05	Horse Lake Thunder	NPHL		7	4	10	14	28		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Belfast Giants	EIHL		34	22	52	74	270		7	1	12	13	34
2008–09	Steinbach North Stars	HM		13	8	19	27	42		4	2	5	7	26
NHL totals				1084	455	633	1088	1840		77	34	45	79	116

International play

Year	Team	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Team result
1987	Canada	World Juniors	6	2	3	5	2	Disqualified
1988	Canada	World Juniors	7	6	2	8	4	Gold medal
1990	Canada	World Championship	9	4	7	11	10	Fourth place
1991	Canada	World Championship	8	5	5	10	8	Silver medal
1991	Canada	Canada Cup	7	1	4	5	12	Gold medal
1996	Canada	World Cup of Hockey	8	4	2	6	8	Second place
1998	Canada	Olympic Games	6	1	3	4	2	Fourth place
2002	Canada	Olympic Games	6	0	2	2	6	Gold medal
Junior int'l totals			13	8	5	13	6
Senior int'l totals			44	15	23	38	46

All-Star Games

Year	Location		G	A	P	PIM
1991	Chicago		1	0	1	0
1992	Philadelphia		1	0	1	0
1996	Boston		0	0	0	0
1997	San Jose		0	1	1	0
1998	Vancouver		1	2	3	2
1999	Tampa Bay		0	2	2	0
2001	Colorado		2	1	3	0
All-Star totals			5	6	11	2

Awards

Award	Year
Junior
WHL Eastern Conference All-Star Team	1987–88
Bob Clarke Trophy	1987–88 (shared)
IIHF World U20 Championship Tournament All-Star	1988
National Hockey League
NHL Plus-Minus Award	1990–91 (shared)
NHL Second Team All-Star	1994–95
Calgary Flames team awards
Molson Cup	1990–91 1992–93 1995–96 1997–98
Elite Ice Hockey League
Player of the Year	2005–06
First Team All-Star	2005–06

See also

• List of NHL players with 1000 points
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played

References

General

• Fleury, Theoren; McLellan Day, Kirstie (2009), Playing With Fire, HarperCollins, ISBN 978-1-55469-239-3
• Joyce, Gare (2006), When the Lights Went Out, Random House, ISBN 9780385662758
• Malcolm, Andrew H. (1997), Fury: Inside the life of Theoren Fleury, McClelland & Stewart, ISBN 0-7710-5655-9
• Hanlon, Peter; Kelso, Sean (2008), 2008–09 Calgary Flames Media Guide (PDF), Calgary Flames Hockey Club
• Career statistics: Player profile – Theoren Fleury, Hockey Hall of Fame, retrieved 2009-09-19

Specific

External links

• Theoren Fleury career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Theoren Fleury biography at Legends of Hockey (archived)