| Guy Lafleur OC CQ | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1988 | |||
.jpg) Lafleur in 2013 | |||
| Born | (1951-09-20)September 20, 1951 Thurso, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Died | April 22, 2022(2022-04-22) (aged 70) Kirkland, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Montreal Canadiens New York Rangers Quebec Nordiques | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL draft | 1st overall,1971 Montreal Canadiens | ||
| Playing career | 1971–1985 1988–1991 | ||
Guy Damien LafleurOC CQ (September 20, 1951 – April 22, 2022), nicknamed "the Flower" and "Le Démon Blond", was a Canadian professionalice hockey player. He was the first player inNational Hockey League (NHL) history to score 50 goals in six consecutive seasons as well as 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons.[1] Between1971 and1991, Lafleur played right wing for theMontreal Canadiens,New York Rangers, andQuebec Nordiques in an NHL career spanning 17 seasons, and fiveStanley Cup championships in1973,1976,1977,1978, and1979 (all with the Canadiens).[2] Lafleur was inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame in 1988, named one of the100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017,[3] and was named to theOrder of Hockey in Canada in 2022.
Lafleur was born on September 20, 1951, inThurso, Quebec.[4] He started playing hockey at the age of five after receiving his first hockey stick as a Christmas present.[5]
As a youth, he played at theQuebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament three consecutive years from 1962 to 1964, and scored a tournament record of 64 points.[6][7] In his teens, Lafleur gained considerable recognition for his play as a member of theQuebec Remparts of theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he led his team to theMemorial Cup in 1971, scoring 130 regular season goals. At the time, Lafleur idolizedJean Béliveau andBobby Orr.[8] He gained the nickname "Le Turbo de Thurso" while playing with the Remparts, coined byRadio Canada broadcaster Jean-Bernard Rainville.[9]
With Lafleur and fellow QuebecerMarcel Dionne among the top prospects in the1971 NHL Amateur Draft, the Montreal Canadiens' general manager,Sam Pollock, was keen to find a way to trade to obtain one of the top two picks. He persuadedCalifornia Golden Seals ownerCharlie Finley to trade the Seals' 1971 first-round pick andFrançois Lacombe in return for Montreal's 1970 first-round pick and veteranErnie Hicke. Oakland finished last, leaving Montreal with the first overall pick. Pollock hesitated between Lafleur and Dionne, but chose Lafleur with the first draft choice.[10]
Lafleur wore No. 10, as Beliveau originally asked Lafleur to take his No. 4, then had second thoughts, saying, "Don't try to be a second Jean Beliveau. Be the first Guy Lafleur. Take a number and make it your own." Lafleur received little ice time in his rookie season, as the Canadiens were deep in veteran players. During his first three seasons, Lafleur struggled to live up to expectations in the league as he posted average statistics—the more so in that Dionne became an immediate star inDetroit who led his team in scoring over his first three seasons.[11][12]
By his fourth season, 1974–75, Lafleur had developed his trademark smooth skating style and scoring touch, making him one of the most popular players on a very popular team; fans chanted "Guy, Guy, Guy!" whenever he touched the puck.[13] Lafleur's obituary onSportsnet described him as a "Jackson Pollock painting on ice, a frenetic innovator who pushed the boundaries of his art beyond what had ever been conceived, a singularly dynamic force that turned an everyday sight as simple as a man on skates with a puck on his stick into a masterpiece — something you had seen before, perhaps, but never quite like that". Opposing players often hooked and slashed Lafleur, but he never retaliated.[11] Former teammate Réjean Houle said that “Guy lived 100 miles an hour. One hundred miles an hour everywhere. One hundred miles an hour when he went to Quebec in his car. One hundred miles an hour on the rink. One hundred miles an hour on Crescent St. Besides his on-ice artistry, Lafleur was also known for his charisma as he was frequently in demand with the press and fans, with former Montreal Gazette sports columnist Michael Farber saying “Jean Béliveau was magisterial. Jean Béliveau was our father — and Guy Lafleur was our cool older brother. Lafleur wasn’t a quiet guy and if you look at his era, that was not a quiet time. Lafleur was a product of the ’70s. There were loud colours, loud clothing — we’ve seen pictures of the sideburns".[14] Those who encountered Lafleur personally lauded his down-to-earth persona and humility.[15][16] Lafleur became known among English-speaking fans as "the Flower" due to his literal translation of his surname, while among French fans he was dubbed "le Démon Blond" (the Blond Demon).[17] He was one of several players nicknamed "the Flying Frenchman".[18][19][20]
Lafleur was a cornerstone of the Canadiens' four straightStanley Cup championships from 1976 to 1979, including being named playoff MVP in 1977. During the 1978 Stanley Cup finals,Boston Bruins head coachDon Cherry ordered his players to put their sticks up and hit Lafleur whenever they encountered him.[21] At the end of the series, Lafleur's head was swathed in bandages after numerous slashes from Bruin players.[21] After Montreal won the Stanley Cup, he borrowed it for the weekend without telling anyone to show his friends back home in Thurso, where he set it out on his front lawn for all his neighbours to see.[22]
In 1979, Lafleur released the albumLafleur!, consisting of Guy Lafleur reciting hockey instructions, accompanied bydisco music.[23]
WithKen Dryden,Jacques Lemaire, and several other key players retiring after the conclusion of the 1979 season, the Canadiens' dynasty came to an end with the team losing in the second round of the 1980 playoffs to theMinnesota North Stars in seven games.[24] Injuries shortened Lafleur's 1980–81 season and his production dropped significantly (during the previous six seasons, Lafleur had reached or exceeded 100 points and 50 goals).[25] In the following seasons, he was overshadowed byMike Bossy andWayne Gretzky.[26]
While driving home on March 24, 1981, Lafleur fell asleep at the wheel of hisCadillac and crashed into a highway fence. A metal post pierced the windshield, missing his head by an inch while grazing his right ear.[27] During the1980–81 season, Lafleur appeared in only 51 games and scored 27 goals. It was the first time since the1973–74 season that he failed to score 50 goals or more in a season.[28] The Canadiens' next three seasons would all end with shock first round exits: a first round sweep by Gretzky'sEdmonton Oilers, a loss in the fifth and deciding game to Montreal's provincial rivalQuebec Nordiques, and another three-game sweep at the hands of theBuffalo Sabres.
The 1983–84 season produced Montreal's first losing record of the expansion era, and resulted in coachBob Berry being replaced 63 games into the season by Lafleur's former teammate Jacques Lemaire.[29] At first, Lemaire's hiring was seen as a success as he guided the Canadiens to their first playoff series victories since 1980 and reached theWales Conference Final. Though the Canadiens' new coach had been Lafleur's centreman during many of the glory years of the 1970s, the former linemates quickly struggled to transform their relationship to an amicable one between coach and player.[30] In time, Lemaire became renowned as one of the NHL's finest defensively-minded coaches. Lafleur was always an offensive-minded player who believed his productivity overshadowed any defensive weaknesses. Lemaire's insistence that everyone on his teams contribute defensively promptly caused a rift between him and Lafleur that never healed.[31] By 1985, due to a rocky relationship with Lemaire, Lafleur felt this had become intolerable and requested a trade. General managerSerge Savard refused Lafleur's request, as trading one of the most popular players in Canadiens history would have incurred a severe backlash from fans and the media.[32] With no other options, Lafleur decided to retire, and his departure from the Canadiens was considered acrimonious.[33]
After being inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame, Lafleur came out of retirement to return to theNHL for three more seasons, from1988 through1991, with theNew York Rangers and theQuebec Nordiques. Lafleur remained one of the few players who did not wear protective helmets due to agrandfather clause.[8] According toWayne Gretzky, Lafleur "was quicker and faster without wearing full shoulder pads".[34]
In July 1988, Yves Tremblay, Lafleur's agent and best friend, had an idea. He called Michel Bergeron, New York Rangers' coach, to ask him if he was interested to get Guy on his team. He contacted also The Penguins, the Red Wings and the Kings. But Bergeron and Phil Esposito, Rangers' General Manager, called back Tremblay to organize a meeting 2 days later in New York. Lafleur and Tremblay convinced Esposito to sign Lafleur to a one-year contract.[33] During his first game back in theMontreal Forum, he received a standing ovation when he came on the ice, and as in his heyday with the Canadiens, the crowd chanted "Guy! Guy! Guy!" every time he touched the puck. Lafleur scored twice againstPatrick Roy, to heavy applause, during the Rangers' 7–5 loss to the Canadiens, and was awarded the first star of the game.[8] Although his high-scoring days were well behind him, his stint with the Rangers was moderately successful, and he helped the team to first place in thePatrick Division until being knocked out by a knee injury.[12]
Lafleur then followed dismissed Rangers head coach and close friendMichel Bergeron to the Nordiques for his final seasons. Intending to finish his hockey career in Quebec where he had started, Lafleur reportedly turned down a $1 million offer from theLos Angeles Kings which would have allowed him to play alongsideWayne Gretzky.[12] Lafleur managed 24 goals in 98 games with the Nordiques over two seasons,[12] while also mentoring emerging star centerJoe Sakic,[35][36] Despite Lafleur's presence, the Nordiques owned the NHL's worst record in both seasons Lafleur played with them.[37][38] During Lafleur's final NHL game he was cheered every time he touched the puck and leapt over the boards and received a long standing ovation; the referee for that contest wasPaul Stewart (coincidentally Stewart's final NHL game as a player was when his Nordiques played against Lafleur's Canadiens on April 6, 1980).[16]
TheMinnesota North Stars selected Lafleur with the final pick in the1991 Expansion Draft.[39] Lafleur had decided to retire for a second and last time as a player, and he had already agreed to an off-ice job with the Nordiques. The league's bylaws prevented him from accepting a job with a team that did not own his playing rights. The North Stars solved Lafleur's quandary by trading him back to Quebec.[39] In exchange, they received the rights to a former Nordique who had been playing in Switzerland for two years,Alan Haworth. Haworth played just one more year of professional hockey, and never returned to the NHL.[40]
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Lafleur was a licensedhelicopter pilot.[41] He was part owner of ahelicopter transportation company. He was the copilot when theTampa Bay Lightning'sAndré Roy proposed to his fiancée, the Stanley Cup serving as the engagement ring bearer.[42]
In the 1990s, Lafleur had his own brand of fruit juice energy drink, "Flower Power".[43]
Lafleur also owned a restaurant inBerthierville, Quebec, "Guy LafleurMikes Signature", which opened in 2002.[44] He opened a new restaurant, called "Bleu, Blanc, Rouge!" inRosemère, Quebec, in 2008. Lafleur sold the "Bleu, Blanc Rouge" in December 2012. The restaurant closed on December 22, 2012.[45]
From 2005 to 2008 Lafleur was appointedhonorary colonel of 12 Radar Squadron, an air force unit inBagotville, Quebec. In February 2013 he was appointed honorary colonel of3 Wing Bagotville, the parentformation of 12 Radar Squadron.[46] Honorary colonels generally serve for three years.
In 2007 Lafleur's son Mark was arrested for assault, forcible confinement, and other charges, and remained at his father's house as part of his bail conditions. In 2009, Lafleur was charged with giving contradictory testimony about whether Mark had respected his curfew.[47][48] Lafleur was convicted in 2009, but in August 2010, he was unanimously acquitted of all charges by theQuebec Court of Appeal.[49] He filed a $2.8 million civil suit against police and prosecutors, claiming that his rights were violated and his reputation damaged but did not win his case.[48]
In September 2019, Lafleur began having health issues and hadopen heart surgery with five bypasses. In November 2019, he had a cancerous lobe removed from his left lung. In October 2020,cancer was diagnosed in his right lung.[50]
Lafleur died on April 22, 2022, at age 70,[51][52] exactly one week afterMike Bossy, who also succumbed tolung cancer (both smoked heavily during their playing days); both were Quebec natives whose contemporary careers as star right-wingers were often compared.[53][54][55]
He was given a national funeral on May 3, 2022, inMontreal,Quebec.[56]
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Lafleur is the all-time leading scorer in Canadiens history, notching 1,246 points, made up of the club's second highest (behindMaurice "Rocket" Richard) all-time goals, with 518, and the most all-time assists, with 728, in his 14 years with Montreal.[52][57] He led the NHL in points in 1976, 1977, and 1978.[58] He tied for a Montreal club record withSteve Shutt for goals in a season with 60 in1977–78 and holds the franchise record for points in a season with 136 in1976–77.[11][58] Lafleur became the first player in NHL history to score at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons, all as aHab.[59][60] Lafleur was also the fastest player (at the time) to reach 1,000 points, doing so in only 720 games. That record has since been broken by Wayne Gretzky,Mario Lemieux, and three others.[61]
He was a member of the Canadian team in the 1976 and 1981Canada Cup tournaments, winning the Cup in 1976.[62] He was the recipient of theLou Marsh Trophy in 1977.[63]
On February 16, 1985, Lafleur became the fifth player from the Montreal Canadiens to have his sweater number retired.[64] Lafleur was inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and theCanadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. Along withGordie Howe before him andMario Lemieux after him, Lafleur is one of only three players to have returned to the NHL after being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.[65]
In April 2001, Lafleur sold most of his personal hockey memorabilia in a silent auction. 122 items were sold, including miniature replicas of NHL trophies, jerseys, pucks, sticks, and skates. Included in the sale were his 1977 Conn Smythe Trophy, 1977 Hart Trophy, the puck for his first goal, and four of his five Stanley Cup rings. The items' selling prices totalled approximately US$400,000, with Lafleur donating $20,000 to $25,000 to the Montreal Canadiens Foundation.[66]
Besides the honours received during his playing career, in 1980 he was made an Officer of theOrder of Canada, and in 2005, he was made a Knight of theNational Order of Quebec.[67]
In 1979, he received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement.[68][69]
TheGuy Lafleur Award of Excellence was introduced in 1985.[70]
In 1998, he was ranked number 11 onThe Hockey News list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. In 2017, he was named one of the100 Greatest NHL Players by the NHL as part of its centennial celebration.[52]
The QMJHL retired Lafleur's number 4 league-wide at the start of the2021–22 season.[71]
Lafleur was named to theOrder of Hockey in Canada in 2022.[72]Quebec Autoroute 50, which passes through his hometown of Thurso, was renamed in his honor on May 4, 2023.[73]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1966–67 | Québec Junior Aces | QJHL | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | Québec Junior Aces | QJHL | 43 | 30 | 19 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968–69 | Québec Junior Aces | QJHL | 49 | 50 | 60 | 110 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Quebec Remparts | QJHL | 56 | 103 | 67 | 170 | 105 | 15 | 25 | 18 | 43 | 34 | ||
| 1969–70 | Quebec Remparts | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 18 | 18 | 36 | 23 | ||
| 1970–71 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 62 | 130 | 79 | 209 | 135 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 43 | 24 | ||
| 1970–71 | Quebec Remparts | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 18 | ||
| 1971–72 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 73 | 29 | 35 | 64 | 48 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1972–73 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 69 | 28 | 27 | 55 | 51 | 17 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 9 | ||
| 1973–74 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 73 | 21 | 35 | 56 | 29 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1974–75 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 70 | 53 | 66 | 119 | 37 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 15 | ||
| 1975–76 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 56 | 69 | 125 | 36 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 2 | ||
| 1976–77 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 56 | 80 | 136 | 20 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 6 | ||
| 1977–78 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 78 | 60 | 72 | 132 | 26 | 15 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 16 | ||
| 1978–79 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 52 | 77 | 129 | 28 | 16 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 1979–80 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 74 | 50 | 75 | 125 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1980–81 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 51 | 27 | 43 | 70 | 29 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 66 | 27 | 57 | 84 | 24 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1982–83 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 68 | 27 | 49 | 76 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1983–84 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 80 | 30 | 40 | 70 | 19 | 12 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | ||
| 1984–85 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 19 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | New York Rangers | NHL | 67 | 18 | 27 | 45 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1989–90 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 39 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 59 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,126 | 560 | 793 | 1,353 | 399 | 128 | 58 | 76 | 134 | 67 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Canada | CC | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 12 | |
| 1981 | Canada | WC | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1981 | Canada | CC | 7 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 0 | |
| Senior totals | 21 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 14 | |||
| Sources:[77][78] | ||||||||
He was the first NHL player to record six consecutive seasons of 50 goals or more and 100 points or more.
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | NHL first overall draft pick 1971 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Montreal Canadiens first round draft pick 1971 | Succeeded by |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | Winner of theHart Memorial Trophy 1977,1978 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | NHL Goal Leader 1978 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of theConn Smythe Trophy 1977 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of theArt Ross Trophy 1976, 1977, 1978 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of theLester B. Pearson Award 1976, 1977, 1978 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
