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Penguins' Fleury: I want to win my job back

Len Redkoles / National Hockey League / Getty

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is thrilled to have etched his name on the Stanley Cup for a second time, but he's hoping to play a greater role in team success next season.

The 31-year-old is heading into his 13th season with the Penguins, and he's ready to regain his role as full-time starter after losing the job to rookie Matt Murray, and rumors this offseason of a potential trade.

"I love Pittsburgh, and the Penguins are my team; I want to stay with them for the rest of my career," Fleury said, according to NHL.com's Robert Laflamme. "I had some good conversations with management after the season. Nothing is written in stone. I want to come to camp ready to win my job back. I have to get back to the same level of play and help the team win games."

Fleury backstopped the Penguins to a 35-17-6 record, with a .921 save percentage and 2.29 GAA during the regular season, but a late-season concussion and shaky return to the net forced the club to start Murray throughout the playoffs.

Fleury, in turn, made sure to aid the team in any way he could, primarily by keeping his teammates loose.

"It's a different feeling when you're sitting on the bench, you're not sweating, you're not battling with your teammates to win the Cup," Fleury said. "Having said that, I'm happy to have my name on it a second time.

"I did my best to keep everyone upbeat and in a better mood around the team. I wanted to play, but that was the situation. The team was winning. The most important thing for me was to be a good teammate."

Fleury enjoyed his day with Lord Stanley in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec on Saturday. A day that included eating cereal out of the cup with his daughters, a parade through town, and a stop at Montreal Children's Hospital. All of which likely eases the pain of a lost job between the pipes.

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