It was vintage Lafleur, blond hair flying as he raced up right wing before overpowering goaltender Gilles Gilbert with a slap shot. Perhaps Lafleur's most famous goal during that stretch was the game-tying power-play goal he scored against the Boston Bruins in Game 7 of the 1979 Stanley Cup Semifinals. He was voted the Hart Trophy winner as most valuable player in 1976-78 and was the leading scorer in Montreal's run to four consecutive Stanley Cup championships from 1976-79. Lafleur led the NHL in scoring in 1975-76 and repeated in each of the next two. On behalf of the Molson family, and all members of the Club de hockey Canadien organization, I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Lise his sons, Martin and Mark his mother, Pierrette Lafleur his granddaughter, Sienna-Rose and his sisters, Lise, Gisele, Suzanne and Lucie." "Guy Lafleur is part of the Canadiens' family and the organization will provide all the necessary support to the members of his family and his close circle of friends during this extremely difficult time. 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. "We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Guy Lafleur," Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said. Lafleur was part of Montreal's 1973 Stanley Cup-winning team, the first of his five Cup wins, but starting his NHL career as a center and not getting anywhere near the ice time he had in Quebec, he didn't meet the expectations of fans until 1974-75, when he had 53 goals and 119 points on right wing and was named a First-Team All-Star for the first of six consecutive seasons. 1 pick in the 1971 draft and selected Lafleur, who was expected to succeed Beliveau, immediately ahead of Marcel Dionne, who was chosen No. Montreal general manager Sam Pollock made a series of trades to obtain the No. Guy Lafleur in a 1970s Canadiens portrait, and wearing his Hall of Fame blazer, a member of the Class of 1988. He began playing hockey at age 5 and became a sensation with the Remparts, scoring 103 and 130 goals in his two seasons and powering Quebec to the Memorial Cup championship in 1971. The National Hockey League mourns the passing of the iconic Guy Lafleur and sends its deepest condolences to his wife, Lise his sons, Martin and Mark his mother, Pierrette his granddaughter, Sienna Rose his four sisters and the entire Lafleur family and the millions of hockey fans he thrilled." He remained adored in Quebec throughout his post-playing days, signing autographs for hours at countless appearances as a franchise ambassador, having forged a special and enduring bond with the fans of his home province and adopted city. "Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, Lafleur was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players during the League's Centennial celebration in 2017. "As distinctively stylish as he was remarkably talented, Lafleur cut a dashing and unmistakable figure whenever he blazed down the ice of the Montreal Forum, his long blond locks flowing in his wake as he prepared to rifle another puck past a helpless goaltender - or set up a linemate for a goal. "You didn't need to see Guy Lafleur's name and number on his sweater when 'The Flower' had the puck on his stick," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. After three 20-goal seasons, underwhelming in the eyes of fans who expected him to be the legendary Beliveau and Richard rolled into one, "The Flower" blossomed into the star Montreal fans were anticipating.įrom 1974-75 through 1979-80, Lafleur scored at least 50 goals and 119 points and arguably was the most exciting player in the NHL, bringing fans out of their seats with his speed and skill. It took Lafleur a few seasons to find the form that would make him an NHL legend. That he was viewed as the Canadiens' next great French-Canadian star only added to the pressure, Beliveau having retired at the end of the 1970-71 season. Not since Beliveau 20 years earlier had a young player's arrival been as eagerly anticipated. Lafleur died in a palliative care center in the suburbs of Montreal, not far from his home.Ī sparkling jewel in the Canadiens' glory-days crown with the late Maurice "Rocket" Richard and the late Jean Beliveau, Lafleur was the top junior player in Canada after scoring 130 goals in his final season with the Quebec Remparts when the Canadiens made him the No.
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