Patches of long blond hair run past them.
This is what Montrealist Sebastian Ayot remembers most from watching Canadiens superstar Guy Lafleur on the ice as a young teenager: Number 10 races to the blue line, without a helmet, and his characteristic flow of spirit behind him.
“It was pretty sad this morning,” he said.
The Habs icon, a native of Thurso, Que., Who won five Stanley Cup titles, has died at the age of 70.
The cause of death was not immediately known. However, Lafleur suffers from health problems in the last stages of his life.
In September 2019, he underwent quadruple heart surgery with bypass, in which doctors found a lesion in his right lung. A few months later, he underwent surgery to remove part of his lungs. But by October 2020, the cancer had returned and he had chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
He went public with his experience to warn others about the dangers of lung cancer and the need for early screening. This was another example of Lafleur trying to use his fame to help others.
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For two decades, the phenomenon known as the “Flower” has established itself as one of the giants in the history of hockey, as well as in the sporting and cultural history of Quebec. Guy Lafleur died this week at the age of 70. 1:54
Standing outside the Bell Center, where the statue of Le Démon Blond, or the Flower as Lafleur was called, stood, Roger Dowd also remembered the imprint the hockey giant had left on a generation of Quebecers and the hockey world as a whole.
A fan pays tribute to the bronze statue of Canadian legend Guy Lafleur in front of the Bell Center in Montreal. (Ryan Remiorz / Canadian Press)
“He was, you know, a monumental figure in Montreal,” Daoud said, recalling how active Lafleur was in the community, raising money for charity and contributing to several small hockey leagues.
“His name was synonymous with Quebec and Montreal. And whether you’re Anglophone or Francophone, everyone loved Guy Lafleur.
The Montreal Canadiens said the entire organization was in mourning.
At a news conference on Friday afternoon, team owner Jeff Molson said the Hall of Fame “excites generations of Canadian fans around the world” and called it “a symbol in the history of sports in Quebec”.
Molson said he admired Lafleur as he grew up, but got to know him better in 2009 when he hired the Habs legend to be the team’s ambassador.
“He’s a wonderful man. He has an incredible sense of humor and is committed to everything he does all the time,” Molson said, adding that Lafleur has always remained accessible to fans.
Molson said the team will honor Lafleur with a special ceremony at a later date.
WATCH Habs fans pay tribute to Guy Lafleur:
Fans in Montreal shared memories of Canadian hockey legend Guy Lafleur, who died at the age of 70. 0:49
Martin St. Louis, the Hubs’ interim head coach, said Lafleur was his first favorite player when he grew up watching the Canadiens play from his living room.
“When Guy takes off, you will sit down, but you will stand up, because something exciting is sure to happen,” he said.
“He was electrifying.”
But in addition to being an ice “superhero” who inspired the next generation of hockey players like him, St. Louis said he also understood Lafleur’s humanity off the ice.
When St. Louis played for the New York Rangers in 2014, his mother died the day before the first game of the series against the Canadiens. Lafleur and former Canadiens player Reagan Hole appeared at his mother’s funeral.
“It was very touching for me and especially for my father,” he said. “I learned a lot from Guy that day.”
“The man who did not give up”
No one is in a better position to witness the character and brilliance of Lafleur on the ice than the former great and longtime friend of the Canadians, Ivan Cournoier, who was shaken by the news this morning.
“It’s hard for me… we expected it, but…,” he said, drowning in an interview with Radio-Canada’s Première Heure.
“He fights hard … Guy is a man who doesn’t give up.”
Cournoyer, nicknamed Roadrunner, played alongside Flower with Habs from 1971-79. He said he and Henri Richard, a member of the Hall of Fame, took Lafleur under their wing when he first arrived with the team.
“When I first saw Guy, I knew he was good, but I didn’t know he was going to be that good,” Cournotay said, adding that although Lafleur didn’t get much time for ice in the beginning, he “played like a superstar.”
Ivan Cournoyet bursts into tears as he delivers a eulogy to another Canadian legend, Jean Belivo. (Paul Chiason / Canadian Press)
Another longtime friend and former teammate, Serge Savard, shared Cournoyer’s mood.
“He just dominated the National Hockey League [Wayne] “Greek dominated in his time, and Mario Lemieux dominated in his time,” he said in an interview with CBC’s Daybreak.
“He was a great hero here, especially among the French population … he is a unique player who comes only once in a generation.
Named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players of All Time in 2017, Lafleur finished with a total of 560 goals and 793 assists for 1,353 points in 1,126 games in his 17 seasons – standing out for his skating speed and your screaming style of play.
He enjoyed 14 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, rewriting the record book along the way. He is still the Canadians’ record holder in points (1246), assists (728) and goals to win the match (94).
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Asked about friendships off the ice, Cournoyet said the couple had been together often – he even remembered when Lafleur first met his wife in Montreal.
He said that because he was from Quebec City, Lafleur missed home very much, so the team often tried to talk to him and take him out in an attempt to “help him love Montreal”.
“That’s how we became close friends,” he said.
For Savard, the last time he saw Lafleur in person was on his 70th birthday last fall. About 10 players and former teammates gathered for dinner with him.
“He was joking, talking about the past, laughing … and he knew it was the end,” he said.
During his own health crisis, Lafleur joined forces with the Center hospitalier de l’Université de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) as an ambassador to raise money for cancer research with the creation of the Guy Lafleur Foundation.
“He raised over $ 2 million for CHUM,” Savard said, adding that Lafleur rewarded each $ 5,000 donation with a T-shirt and a phone call to the donor.
“When I say he made a difference, he made a difference in every aspect.”
NHL hockey legend Guy Lafleur waves to Remparts fans as his wife Liz watches during a ceremony in his honor on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at the Videotron Center in Quebec City. (Jacques Boasino / Canadian Press)
In a statement, CHUM, where Lafleur has been treated in recent years, thanked him for his generosity and courage.
For the two former teammates, Lafleur’s loss is greater than deep talent.
“We were all together with the Canadians. So when we lose one, it hurts,” Cournoye said.
“He’s my brother.”
Politicians pay tribute
Quebec Prime Minister Francois Lego, a certified Habs fan, paid tribute to Lafleur on Twitter.
“Quebec has lost a giant,” Lego writes. “I would like to express my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones. All of Quebec is thinking about you. Guy Lafleur is one of our legends. He left his mark on a generation of Quebecers. He made us dream. He made us win. “
At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Lego announced that the Quebec government was in talks with the Lafleur family to organize a national funeral of the great Habs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, another prominent Canadian fan, said Lafleur was “unlike anyone else on the ice.”
“His speed, skills and results were hard to believe,” Trudeau wrote on Twitter. “A record holder and five-time Stanley Cup champion, he has inspired countless Quebecers, Canadians and hockey fans around the world. We will miss you, number 10.”
Guy Lafleur, or the Flower, looked like no one else on the ice. His speed, skill and result were hard to believe. Setting records and a five-time Stanley Cup champion, he has inspired countless Quebecers, Canadians and hockey fans around the world. We will miss you, number 10.
– @JustinTrudeau
In a tweet, Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said Lafleur was one of the greatest players in Canadian and NHL history.
“Montreal mourns the loss of this great man,” Plante wrote.
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