10 hangs in the rafters of the arena after being retired on Feb. Today his statue stands outside Montreal's Bell Centre arena alongside Canadiens all-time greats Howie Morenz, Maurice Richard and Béliveau. He was found guilty in 2009 before the conviction was overturned on appeal a year later. Lafleur testified in 2007 at a bail hearing for his son Mark and was the subject of an arrest warrant in 2008 for allegedly giving contradictory testimony. In the late 2000s, Lafleur was in the headlines for non-hockey reasons. In his post-playing career, Lafleur became an ambassador for the Montreal Canadiens and established the Guy Lafleur Award of Excellence, a prize given annually to the top student-athlete hockey player in the province of Quebec. WATCH | Lafleur returns to Montreal as a Ranger:ĭuration 2:12 Habs fans cheer for beloved Canadien Guy Lafleur after he retires, then returns to the NHL as a New York Ranger.Īt the time, Lafleur was only the second player in league history, after Gordie Howe, to return to the NHL as a player after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He then played two more years with his hometown Quebec Nordiques before calling it a career for a second and final time following the 1991 season. Lafleur played a season in New York, highlighted by a two-goal performance at the fabled Montreal Forum, resulting in a rare standing ovation for an opposing player.
That same year, New York Rangers general manager Phil Esposito convinced him to come out of retirement and return to the NHL. After the team refused to meet his demand for a trade, he shocked the hockey world when, at only 33 years old, he abruptly announced his retirement weeks into the 1984 season.įor the next three years, Lafleur generally only played publicly in charity hockey events, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988. He was asked to rein in his free-wheeling style of play in favour of a more defensive style by Hall of Fame linemate and then coach Jacques Lemaire. Lafleur's relationship with Canadiens management started to sour in the 1980s. Minor plastic surgery was needed to repair his right ear lobe. A signpost smashed through the windshield, missing his head by inches. On March 24, 1981, Lafleur barely escaped a fatal crash after smashing his Cadillac into a highway fence while driving home. "He'd smoke in the room, but always in the bathroom," said former Quebec Nordiques teammate Joe Sakic. "I told him he didn't have to do that. Former coach Scotty Bowman said he would even smoke between periods. Lafleur transcended the sport despite his known habit of smoking cigarettes. called him the greatest player in the world. His scoring prowess was so dominating in the late '70s that legendary Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Dick Irvin Jr. He also captured the 1977 Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. He dominated the latter half of the decade, leading the Habs to four consecutive Stanley Cup titles from 1976 to 1979, and won the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player twice during that period. Dick Irvin and Bob Cole reflect on his most famous goal. He often mesmerized fans with his signature long blond hair flowing behind him as he rushed up the ice before unleashing one of his patented booming slapshots.ĭuration 1:15 Hockey Night Heroes: Guy Lafleur scored over 600 times in the NHL. Quebec is in talks with the family of Lafleur to hold a national funeral for the Montreal Canadiens legend, premier François Legault announced at a news conference Friday.įor decades, Lafleur - nicknamed "The Flower" - scored seemingly with ease at all levels of hockey and grew into the role of one of the game's flashiest superstars. He was one of the greatest players in our organization while becoming an extraordinary ambassador for our sport." Throughout his career, he allowed us to experience great moments of collective pride. "Guy Lafleur had an exceptional career and always remained simple, accessible, and close to the Habs and hockey fans in Quebec, Canada and around the world. All members of the Canadiens organization are devastated by his passing," Canadiens President Geoff Molson said in a statement. "We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Guy Lafleur. Then, in October of 2020, he endured a recurrence of lung cancer. In September 2019, he underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery, which was followed by lung surgery two months later. However, Lafleur suffered through health issues in the latter stages of his life. The cause of death was not immediately known. Montreal Canadiens icon Guy Lafleur, who captured five Stanley Cup titles and was a hockey hero in Quebec long before his NHL playing days, has died.
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