When Theo Fleury announced in the summer that he would be mounting an attempt at a comeback in the National Hockey League, reactions ranged from extreme pessimism to optimistic sentimentality and everything in between.
The case against Fleury making the team heading into the pre-season? He was 41 years old, had not played an NHL game in more than six years (April 2003) and had battled substance abuse and personal demons en route to a downward spiral from professional hockey.
The case for a successful return? There was an emotional element to things that gave the 5'6 sniper a leg up heading in; he was part of Flames folklore. Fleury was drafted by the team 166th overall in the eighth round of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. He brought home the franchise's last Stanley Cup back in 1989. In 1990-91, Fleury had 51 goals and 53 assists for a career-high 104 points. He had NHL seven seasons with more than 70 points and was a seven-time All-Star. He was a gifted player with eerily omniscient hockey sense and he had over 1000 games of NHL experience with four teams. That's a lot of leadership to bring to the locker room of a club that hasn't made it past the first round of the playoffs since 2004.
"He's one of the most competitive guys I've ever played with and he's always set a good example in that area and literally he's right at the top in his love of the game and his competitive level," said Flames superstar Jarome Iginla at the team's camp. "It's definitely a good example for all of us."
So now, four games into a schedule of exhibition contests that essentially double as one big tryout for the team, Fleury has a goal and three assists and he has, at times, looked like a player possessed, and one half his age at that.
There are still cynics out there but it's safe to say there are probably more believers than before the pre-season, when many wondered if Fleury would even be able to find his legs once he hit the ice. Count Fleury himself among the group of believers.
"I know what I can do on the ice whether I've been out of the game for six or 60 years - it doesn't matter," he said on Wednesday. "You have that hockey mind, you have that hockey sense and as long as you know you can keep up, then everything else should take care of itself."
So with the team's final cuts just days away, what's the general buzz in Calgary? Many are saying that Fleury has been better than most - if not all - of the much younger players that were expected to be pushing for jobs on the Flames' final roster; players like Kyle Greentree, Jason Jaffray, Kris Chucko and several others.
Fleury did receive a helpful bonus that most of the other potential candidates did not; he was given a spot on the second line with established players in every pre-season game so far. The Flames have been giving Fleury the benefit of the doubt and pushing him to succeed by matching him up with linemates like Daymond Langkow, Curtis Glencross, Nigel Dawes and others.
So the question remains: with his dazzling performance thus far, how could the Flames go about cutting him? It's possible Fleury might be offered a spot on the team; alternatively, he could be given a minor league contract. Some in Cowtown are arguing that if Fleury was 15 years younger and producing these kinds of numbers, he would be given a shot at the final roster hands down. Age aside, the grizzled veteran knows that at the end of the day it's what he does on the ice that will determine the outcome of this challenging mission.
"All I want to do is continue to get better and better and I think for the most part I've been able to accomplish that. I'm really happy and really looking forward to being in the lineup," said Fleury. "I think I've gotten better each game. In [the NHL game] now you have to keep your feet moving all the time, so I've been really trying to concentrate on that part mostly."
The Oxbow, Saskatchewan native said he was most anxious not during these first games back but rather before a physical that took place before the puck even dropped.
"The biggest worry for me was that fitness test a couple of Saturdays ago because I had no idea where I was physically," Fleury said. "When I tested as well as I did, that gave me some confidence."
Back on May 22, the Flames fired then-head coach Mike Keenan and proceeded to hire Brent Sutter on June 23. That gave the team a clean slate, meaning Fleury now doesn't have the disadvantage of having to catch up on a well-established system of coaching that's already been in place.
"I'm basically starting where everyone else is; with a new coach, new coaching staff," he said. "You just want to learn the system and try not to make mistakes out there and when you do get the opportunities to put the puck in the net, you have to put the puck in the net."
It will be only a matter of days before Flames fans find out if Theo Fleury will once again be donning the team's jersey for more than just the next pre-season game. The story has also taken on meaning for hockey fans outside of Calgary - if Fleury is able to crack the roster, it will transcend the realm of being just a sports issue and will become a personal interest story, a story of redemption.
Whether or not Fleury makes the team, even the most cynical onlooker has to admit he has made a very good run at things. The thing that Fleury was best known for during his first successful run in the NHL - his passion - has certainly not died out with time. He's hoping he'll have a chance to prove that during the regular season. It's not long until the verdict.