Marc-André Fleury, a former Cape Breton Screaming Eagles player who went on to win three Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medal, will be inducted into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame alongside four others in a ceremony in Quebec City on Wednesday. The Hawkins family from Sydney River, Nova Scotia, who hosted Fleury as a billet during his formative years with the team, will attend the event to celebrate their role in nurturing his early hockey career. Drafted by the Eagles in 2000 when he was just 15 and didn’t speak English, Fleury lived with the Hawkins family for four years, where they supported him both on and off the ice.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Cape Breton billet family to share in Marc-André Fleury's QMJHL hall induction
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family → share → induction
'He was just like another kid in the house,' recalls Bob Hawkins
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Hawkins → recall → house
When Marc-André Fleury is ushered into the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Hall of Fame on Wednesday, the billet family he lived with in Cape Breton for four years as a teenager will be right beside him.
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he → usher → him
“To think when he was with us that this is where he ended up is surely amazing,” Bob Hawkins said.
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Hawkins → think → us
Bob, his wife Angela and their two children first welcomed Fleury to their Sydney River, N.S., home when he was 15.
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he → welcome → home
He didn’t speak a lick of English and had never heard of the Nova Scotia island.
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He → speak → island
Drafted by the then Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in 2000, the native of Sorel, Que., went on to a storied career that includes three Stanley Cups, an Olympic gold medal and the second-most wins by a goalie in NHL history.
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that → draft → history
Fleury, now 41, played 151 games with the Cape Breton team, which later rebranded as simply the Eagles.
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which → play → Eagles
He and four others are being inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Quebec City on Wednesday.
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He → induct → Wednesday
Once he got the call from the QMJHL, Fleury immediately reached out to the Hawkins family to be a part of the honour.
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Fleury → get → honour
“I showed up on their doorstep when I was 15 and they were such an incredible family to me,” Fleury said in an interview with CBC News.
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Fleury → show → News
“We've shared a lot of good and tougher moments together with the Eagles and Sydney and we've kept in touch all these years.”
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we → share → touch
Bob and Angela said they chose to bring Fleury into their home because they wanted an older brother figure for their children, who were then 10 and six.
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who → say → children
While the young goalie didn't speak English when he arrived, he and the kids quickly bonded and their son helped him learn the language.
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him → speak → language
Fleury spent four years growing up with the family, attending birthday parties and holiday celebrations, while Bob taught him how to drive.
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Bob → spend → him
“Honestly, he was just like another kid in the house,” Bob said.
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Bob → say → house
“He was a very sociable guy, very easy to like, enjoyed a lot of fun,” Angela said.
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Angela → like → fun
After he graduated to the pros, the family kept in touch through his NHL playing days.
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family → graduate → days
Angela said she sent him a text message before and after every game he played.
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he → say → game
“We have followed him throughout his entire NHL career, visiting all the rinks that he played at and got to see him play with so many other exceptional players,” Angela said.
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Angela → follow → players
Paul MacDonald, who was part of the Eagles' broadcast team when Fleury was drafted and later became franchise president, said the team recognized Fleury's talent early on, though they didn't immediately foresee a future Hall of Famer.
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they → draft → Famer
Fleury unexpectedly made the team straight out of training camp in his first season, and MacDonald quickly noticed his competitive drive and charisma.
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MacDonald → make → drive
“He hasn't changed at all.
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He → change → ?
What you see is what you get with Marc-André,” MacDonald said.
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MacDonald → see → André
After catching the attention of NHL scouts while starting for Canada's world junior team at the 2003 tournament in Halifax and Sydney, Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.
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Fleury → catch → Draft
He remains the last goaltender to be taken with the top draft pick.
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He → remain → pick
He played just 10 more games with Cape Breton before moving on to the professional ranks.
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He → play → ranks
After appearing in more than 1,000 NHL games with Pittsburgh, Vegas, Chicago and Minnesota, Fleury retired with the Penguins following a pre-season game in 2025.
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Fleury → appear → 2025
He returned to Cape Breton last summer with his wife and three children.
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He → return → wife
MacDonald opened Centre 200, where the team retired Fleury's jersey number in 2008, so the family could see where he had played.
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he → open → 2008
“[It] brought back memories,” Fleury said. “To show them where I was and the house I lived in.
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I → bring → memories
And my jersey in the rafters, which they thought was pretty cool.”
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they → think → rafters
The Aporia
