CARLYLE - It was a special way to start the month for a local family when the Seattle Kraken visited the Boston Bruins for an NHL regular season game.
Dressing with Haydn Fleury was his brother Cale, who was called up from the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). Both play defence and both were paired together on this night.
Haydn was drafted in 2014 by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round, seventh overall. He has played 204 NHL regular season games with Carolina, the Anaheim Ducks and now Seattle.
Cale was drafted in the third round, 87th overall, in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. This 23 year old played 41 games for the Canadiens in 2019/2020 and since then has played in the AHL.
Last year’s expansion draft was the first time in NHL history that two brothers have been selected in the same draft by the same team. Both boys were born and raised in Carlyle by their parents John and Sandra Fleury. This family has strong hockey bloodlines.
John Fleury played in the Big Six Hockey League for nearly 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s. He was a strong and gifted centre who won both league and provincials with the Carlyle Cougars in the 1991-92 season. Sandra Fleury (nee Jarvis) and her father Don and three uncles also played Big Six Hockey for the Cougars back in the 1960s and ’70s.
The Fleury brothers played their minor hockey in Carlyle, with the family moving to Calgary back in 2002. The Observer caught up with John and Sandy in Carlyle. Of course their parents are extremely proud of their accomplishments. Said John, “Haydn’s strength is his skating and Cale’s strength is his physical play. Added Sandra, “They are very good hockey players, but what really makes us proud as parents is that they are very caring young men.”
It may also be noted that the entire Fleury family loves many sports and all four of them are accomplished golfers.
The town of Carlyle is extremely proud of the Fleury brothers and is in the process of upgrading the Welcome to Carlyle sign at the Carlyle Golf Club/Curling Rink. No doubt they will be prominently featured as local boys who made it to the show known as the National Hockey League.
We concluded our interview with a quote from John and Sandra that their son Haydn says nearly every day. “Hockey, love the game and it will love you back.”
