DENVER — Brandon Duhaime knew something big was coming.
You don’t mess with one of the NHL’s all-time pranksters, Marc-Andre Fleury, and get away unscathed.
“I figured there was going to be a bang,” Duhaime said. “For sure.”
Still, Duhaime, 26, was caught off guard Monday afternoon when he walked out to the Colorado Avalanche’s secured players’ parking lot and saw his black Jeep with its tires chained and locked to the fence, sitting atop cinder blocks.
He wasn’t the only one.
“I walked out there and was like, ‘Holy s—,” Avs teammate Ross Colton said. “I would have been so mad. He got him good.”
Fleury, known as “Flower,” doesn’t typically own up to pranks. Sometimes, it’ll take years for him to do so. Even on Tuesday, Fleury said with a straight face, “Usually, I don’t do pranks.” But the future Hall of Famer left a special signature on this one, laying his own flower garden of pansies on a bed of soil on the hood. There was a “For Sale” sign on the windshield with a hand-written note telling Duhaime he’d get keys to the lock and tools to fix it if he sent a video apology.
This prank war received some extra flower power today…#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/BO37ZHFaSc
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 8, 2024
The truck was in the same spot and condition Tuesday ahead of the Wild’s game against the Avalanche, with Duhaime planning to take care of it on Wednesday’s off day. He’s been getting rides with teammates in the meantime. But after covering Fleury’s truck with toilet paper last week in Minnesota and seeing his former Wild teammate’s powerful response, Duhaime surrendered.
“I think the white flag is coming up,” Duhaime said, smiling. “I think I’m done. We had our fun.”
How did Fleury pull it off?
Fleury said he’s been brainstorming since Duhaime’s brazen prank last week, wrapping rolls of toilet paper all over his car during a morning skate in Minnesota. The fact that the Wild were heading to Denver the next week, arriving Sunday with a full off-day Monday, meant Fleury had ample opportunity.
And help.
“It definitely wasn’t a solo job,” Duhaime said. “I don’t think he can change a tire, to be honest with you.”
“Me?” Fleury asked, laughing. “I can. He can’t. That’s his problem. It’s still in the parking lot.
“This guy? Jeez.”
Brandon Duhaime gave Marc-Andre Fleury props for his prank, said it “definitely wasn’t a one man job” because the future Hall of Famer “can’t change a tire.” They had dinner last night (Fleury paid). No retaliation. “The white flag is coming up.” #mnwild. pic.twitter.com/r5Bhg2mjLb
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) April 9, 2024
For the record, Duhaime said he plans to hire help to get the tires back on and set.
“Probably pretty expensive,” Duhaime said.
Fleury said he took an Uber from the team hotel to Home Depot to gather the supplies, including the cinder blocks, soil and flowers, picking pansies because he was in a hurry.
The Uber ride back to the Avs facility was interesting, with the driver putting floor mats from the front in the back in case there was a mess.
“My Uber driver wasn’t impressed by me, maybe,” Fleury said. “Still very helpful. I thank him.”
When Fleury got to the parking lot, helpers/teammates were waiting.
“I don’t want to reveal, but I can’t take all the credit,” Fleury said. “I did have some help. Some fine gentlemen helped me throughout the process.”
Investigating in the Wild room Tuesday, at least one co-conspirator was obvious. Mason Shaw immediately smiled when he approached.
“Not going to say I was or wasn’t involved,” Shaw said. “But he did a good job. (Duhaime) learned a hard lesson on messing with ‘Flower.’ Justice was served.”
“We all had an idea, and I know he was talking about it,” Brock Faber said. “I won’t spoil any ideas in case something else happens. But it was a lot of fun. I can’t say how many…
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