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.
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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.
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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 guys, can’t say who it was. That’s a secret.”
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar thought the whole exchange was funny, but he did make an interesting point: Why the heck did Duhaime even risk bringing his car to the arena on Monday, knowing Fleury was in town?
“No way I would have brought mine,” Dakota Mermis said.
Fleury smiled.
“I was going to find him anyhow.”
This prank war has been going on for months. It started when Duhaime made a quip on the Bally’s postgame show in December in Boston that Fleury delivering a brilliant performance was great considering he’s 50 years old.
In a game not too long after, Fleury said Duhaime would find his clothes somewhere. The winger ended up walking out without a shirt under his coat and wearing furry boots.
50 huh? 🌸#mnwild pic.twitter.com/hzagv3WjRd
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 22, 2023
Duhaime left a pink cane on Fleury’s net at practice around Christmas, part of his “Secret Santa” gift. The pranks didn’t stop when Duhaime got traded to the Avalanche at the deadline. The Wild played the Avalanche a game later, and Duhaime said Fleury tied his skates together, giving them some bunny ears.
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So with the Avalanche in Minnesota last week, Duhaime ended an interview with a reporter, asking if his recorder was off.
“I’m going to get (Fleury),” he said.
Then came Duhaime’s TP’ing of Fleury’s car, which Duhaime called a one-man job.
“That’s the type of guy he is,” Shaw said of Duhaime. “He’s a fun guy away from the rink, not afraid to get in a battle on or off the ice. Not surprised at all. It’s been pretty funny to watch this unfold.”
“He’s a good kid, always in for a good laugh,” Fleury said of Duhaime. “I’d rather do it to him than (Mats Zuccarello), who’d be more pissed off about it. You’ve got to choose your crowd.”
What struck Duhaime, too, was that this was allowed to happen in the Avalanche lot, which typically has security.
“He had inside sources, outside sources,” Duhaime quipped. “He knows everyone in Colorado at this point. You’d think (security) would buckle down and take care of their own. They let him in with flying colors.”
Fleury said security “did their job.”
“They got busy with something else,” he said. “So I took advantage of it.”
Duhaime joined a group of Wild players for dinner at a steakhouse Monday night, including Fleury, Shaw, Faber and Freddy Gaudreau. Fleury bought Duhaime dinner, though it was not prank-related; he had owed him previously this season. “I pay my dues,” Fleury said.
And Fleury always pays back when he’s pranked. That includes sharing Duhaime’s seven-second apology video. “Hey Flower, it’s Brandon, I just wanted to say you won the prank war and I’m sorry.”
“He could have been more sincere,” Fleury joked.
So now it appears the war is over, with the sides having made up and Fleury having added a prank that will forever live in his lore of shenanigans.
“I like this one,” Fleury said. “It’s probably at the top of the list. I like it when it takes time, takes work. Teamwork. Like you do it together. So you don’t laugh by yourself. You have someone to laugh with.”
Mess with the bull you get the flowers 🌸💀 #mnwild https://t.co/ZN3CxBuhRC pic.twitter.com/7wWZ7vtQ3z
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 9, 2024
(Top photo courtesy of the Minnesota Wild)
