PITTSBURGH PENGUINS Marc Andre Fleury joins Eddie Olczyk for orientation



The coach took time with each player as he arrived.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- After playing in the National Hockey League for 16 years, Eddie Olczyk is used to showing up a couple of days before training camp opens for orientation and team physicals.
It's no different now that he's the coach.
As the Penguins arrived at the UPMC Complex on Friday, Olczyk spent a few moments with each player, catching up a bit with the veterans and making the younger guys a little more comfortable with their new surroundings.
"It's hard to believe it's here after all the preparation over the last two months," Olczyk said.
Joining Olczyk was Marc-Andre Fleury, the 18-year-old goaltender that Pittsburgh traded up for to take first overall in this year's draft.
"I think it's pretty impressive to be here," Fleury said. "I've never faced an NHL player, so I plan to learn from them, do my best and try to make a good impression on the coach."
Under scrutiny
Like Olczyk, Fleury enters his first NHL training camp knowing he's under a microscope. General manager Craig Patrick traded fan favorite Johan Hedberg -- the team's top goaltender since being acquired from San Jose at the 2001 trade deadline -- to Vancouver for a 2004 second round draft pick, which opened the door for the 18-year-old to vie with veterans Sebastien Caron and Jean-Sebastien Aubin for the Penguins top two goaltending slots.
Caron, 23, who last month signed a four-year, $3.2 million contract, would appear to be the starter, but it looks as if Fleury has the inside track on the backup spot. Aubin, 26, has fallen out of favor with the team and was exiled to Wilkes-Barre midway through last season after posting a 6-13-0 record with a 3.13 goals-against average.
"I don't think I have job security because you don't get any of that here," Caron said. "You hope to be more prepared and more relaxed at training camp than I was before, because now it's a little bit easier because I know I can play here. I feel looser, but I still have to prove myself like everybody else here."
Especially with Fleury, who has yet to sign a contract with the Penguins, pushing him.
Fleury's record
Before he became the first player Pittsburgh took first overall since Mario Lemieux in 1984, Fleury spent two seasons at Cape Breton and actually had a better year in 2001-02 than last season.
In his first year, he posted a 2.78 goals-against average in 55 games. Last year, he had a 3.36 goals-against average in 51 games, and his save percentage dropped slightly, from a league-leading .915 in 2001-02 to .910 in 2002-03.
It was when he played for Canada in the 2003 World Junior championships that he solidified his standing as the best goaltending prospect in the world, leading Canada to a silver medal and being voted best goaltender after posting a 1.57 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage in the tournament.