Vegas Golden Knights' Marc-Andre Fleury cleans up after brawl, gives Sharks' stick to fans

Jace Mallory

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Vegas Golden Knights' Marc-Andre Fleury cleans up after brawl, gives Sharks' stick to fans image

Late in the third period of Friday's contest between the Golden Knights and Sharks, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury took a stroll to the sideboards.

A 10-man brawl had erupted between the bitter rivals, so naturally there was some loose merchandise on the ice. Fleury decided to do some housekeeping around his net, picking up a San Jose stick and casually gifting it to a fan through the photography hole in the glass.

Brent Burns, with his stick in hand, went to retrieve it, but he soon realized the fans were not willing to comply.

It's important to note that the game was the home opener for the Sharks. They were losing by the eventual final score of 5-1, and with sticks to spare on the bench, who can blame the diehard fan for wanting a souvenir after staying the entire game despite the blowout?

Fleury's unique gesture caused a stir on Twitter.

After the game, when Fleury was asked about his gift, he had a rather slippery explanation.

"It was broken right? No? We'll just say it was broken," Fleury said.

Regardless of the stick's status, it was a successful night for Fleury in his 800th NHL game.

The Golden Knights are 2-0 with both wins coming against the Sharks, outscoring them 9-2 to start the season.

Jace Mallory