Canadiens icon Guy Lafleur, one of hockey's flashiest players, dead at 70

CBC Sports ^ | April 22, 2022 | Douglas Gelevan

[PallMal]

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. He was 70.

[Hatteras]

I was in Montreal on business in 2000 when Maurice Richard passed away. Watched the funeral procession from my 9th floor hotel room. Haha, it’s not like I could go anywhere. If only the Pope had scored more goals, his funeral might have been that big.

[PallMal]

And it was the Minnesota North Stars, of all teams, that finally upended Montreal in the playoffs of 1980. This then paved the way for the Islander's dynasty after that.

Out of all of teams of the late 70's, the Canadiens and Islanders were the two top teams during the regular season, but the Canadiens had way more success in the later rounds of the playoffs.

[Carriage Hill]

Agreed.

[Clutch Martin]

“Even during his prime, he would smoke 2 packs of ciggies a day.”

At 70, with that lifestyle he beat the average which from what I understand is around 63 for long haul smokers.

[Dr. Sivana]

I am a Bruins fan, but I always admired the Canadiens of those days.

I used to watch the Bruins on WSBK-38 back then. If the Canadiens didn't knock the Kings out of the playoffs, the Bruins did. Gary Cheevers was an excellent goalie. Terry O'Reilly was a memorable player. And Don Cherry was normal in those days.

[Deplorable American1776]

As a Whalers fan, I've seen him in Hartford. Classy Guy (Lafleur). RIP Guy. You and Gordie can be teammates on Heaven's Hockey team.

Mike Bossy last week and I just saw Darryl Lamonica died today, too.

[Mozzafiato]

Guy Lafleur was the most clutch, dangerous player I ever remember seeing. Those Canadien teams of the 1970s were nearly invincible. Especially as a young kid at the time, I saw them as magical (as a Red Wings fan). I'll never forget the goal Lafleur scored against the Boston Bruins when things looked dire late in the 3rd period of game 7...you expected it to come.

Guy Lafleur goal on Boston - Game 7, Semi Final (1979)

[MrHead]

R.I.P. Guy, saw him play against the Blues, made it look effortless.

[fieldmarshaldj]

RIP.

[xp38]

RIP The Flower. One of the all time greats.

[dfwgator]

Sad to see the state of Les Habitants now.

[hflynn]

I remember being in Montreal on business during the 1977-1978 Stanley Cup Final. As fate would have the Boston Bruins as well as a ton of Bostonian's were staying at the same hotel I had been booked into. The atmosphere in the hotel was too .over the top for the group I was in Montreal with so we decided to watch the 1 game I would be in Montreal for at a sports bar in Old Montreal.

The bar was packed for the game, or so I thought, and French was the only language being spoken. The largest TV at the time was sitting on top of a metal cart on what was a small dance floor that required a 180 from the bar to watch. The TV was 27 or 25 inches, mammoth at the time. My excitement had been building for 90 minutes just at the thought of watching a Montreal Canadian Stanley Cup playoff game in Montreal with a bunch of outrageous Canadians.

And then . . . .Then the game started and not one Canadian even turned to look at the TV. Not one reaction or acknowledgment that the TV was even there. It was as if the Canadians were saying why are we even playing these games. Just give us the Stanley Cup and go home.

I was disappointed. The excitement I anticipated feeling being in the center of a truly important sports championship was deflated to silver dollar pancake flatness. The Montreal Canadians won the Stanley Cup 4 games to none, Guy Lafleur was All World for the entire year and now he is gone. Sad.

[campaignPete R-CT]

We have good reasons to root against Canadian teams this year

Canada’s vaccine ban on players will ruin the games, so best that those teams be dispatched ASAP.