LAS VEGAS — When Maxime Lagace was growing up in Montreal and later Saint-Augustin, Quebec, there was a goalie from the same part of the continent who caught Lagace’s attention.
Here’s a hint: He wore yellow pads.
In the early 2000s, when Lagace was only about 9 or 10 years old, he began idolizing Marc-Andre Fleury, currently the starter and the man Lagace’s backing up with the Vegas Golden Knights.
“He was one of the big names for a guy like me,” Lagace said following Vegas’ practice Thursday at City National Arena.
The crazy thing about Fleury is that all these years later, he might be playing the best hockey of his life, better than Lagace has ever seen.