Guy Lafleur

A cause of death is unknown at this time, though Lafleur reportedly experienced health issues in recent years. According to CBC News, his lung cancer ...

On behalf of the Molson family and all members of the Montreal Canadiens organization, I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Lise and his sons Martin and Mark.” That marked only his first retirement, though, after his trade request was denied by Montreal general manager Serge Savard. At the time, Lafleur was at odds with coach Jacques Lemaire, who took over during the 1983-84 season. “All members of the Canadiens organization are devastated by his passing. “Guy 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. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Guy Lafleur,” Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said in a statement. Throughout his career, he allowed us to experience great moments of collective pride.

The swift-skating Canadiens winger led his team to five Stanley Cup titles from 1973 to 1979.

In 1973, he married Lise Bare. They had two sons, Martin and Mark. Mark Lafleur had several run-ins with the law over the years, including charges of assault and breaking and entering, which led to widespread media coverage in Canada. In 2008, Mr. Lafleur was charged with giving contradicting testimony in a case brought against his son. Mr. Lafleur thrived in youth hockey leagues before being invited to Quebec City to play in the elite junior levels at 14. He was also among the sport’s most popular players, yet he never sought to be captain of his team. “I said to Claude [the Cup’s handler], ‘Give me your keys, I need to put something in your car,’ ” Mr. Lafleur told the Ottawa Citizen in 2017. Mr. Lafleur was well protected by security, but his play suffered and — with the media and public unaware of the situation — he was subject to severe criticism. He preferred, he said, having a sense of freedom on the ice similar to what he felt when flying helicopters. In 1981, after staying out with teammates until dawn, he fell asleep at the wheel of his Cadillac and nearly died in a crash, losing part of his right earlobe. As a prelude to his NHL career, he led the Quebec Remparts to a Memorial Cup victory 1971 in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. It was the first of six consecutive seasons in which he produced at least 50 goals and 100 points (goals, plus assists). He led the NHL with 60 goals in 1977-1978 and in points two other times. His selection as the league’s No. 1 draft choice in 1971 came with high expectations, especially when the No. 2 pick, Marcel Dionne, achieved stardom so quickly with Detroit’s Red Wings. The public disappointment was loud and clear. “I decided to slow down after that,” he told United Press International in 1985. “If only people knew how those events tortured Guy, they would have been less unjust toward him,” Mr. Lafleur’s wife, Lise, told Montreal’s La Presse after the plot became public.

Guy Lafleur, the Montreal Canadiens icon who won five Stanley Cups and holds the franchise record for points, has died. He was 70. The Canadiens announced ...

It was an honor to play with both. "We lost 2 hockey legends this week. The New York Islanders have issued a statement. •1h ago •1h ago My condolences to Lise, Martin, Marc.— Chris Nilan (@KnucklesNilan30) @CanadiensMTL @AnciensCHC #knucklesnilan #knucklesbrand #neverbackdown pic.twitter.com/AOK8GnuOUt April 22, 2022 "One of my all time favourite teammates and one of THE GREATEST PLAYERS to ever play the game. Guy didn’t even wear shoulder pads. In a 2016 piece for the Players' Tribune, Wayne Gretzky said: "You know, Guy Lafleur was a guy that I idolized when I played junior hockey.... That was Lafleur in a nutshell. One word sums him up: Charisma. He had it. The news comes a week after the death of fellow Hall of Famer Mike Bossy, a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the New York Islanders in the same era as Lafleur.

Montreal Canadiens icon Guy Lafleur, who won five Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s and was a hockey hero in Quebec, has died. He was 70.

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. “In 1974-75, his fourth year in the NHL, Lafleur transformed from productive to prolific, recording the first of his six straight seasons of at least 50 goals and 119 points. Lafleur was the first NHL player to score 50 goals with 100 points in six straight seasons.

(Reuters) - Guy Lafleur, a Hockey Hall of Fame ice hockey player who won five Stanley Cups during a storied 17-year NHL career spent primarily with th...

“He was unlike anyone else on the ice – his speed, skill, and scoring were hard to believe.” “Throughout his career, he allowed us to experience great moments of collective pride. Last month, Lafleur was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada as a Distinguished Honouree for 2022 and was supposed to be recognized for his contributions to the sport during a June event.

Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur, who helped the Montreal Canadiens win five Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s, has died at age 70.

⁃ Guy Lafleur The NHL Alumni Association is heartbroken to learn that @CanadiensMTL legend, Guy Lafleur has passed away at the age of 70 after a valiant battle with cancer." "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 in a statement. The Toronto Maple Leafs tweeted "Guy Lafleur was an iconic player and competitor. Our thoughts go out to the Lafleur family and the @CanadiensMTL organization." Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted "Guy Lafleur, or "The Flower," was unlike anyone else on the ice. A cause of death was not immediately known, but Lafleur had been diagnosed with lung cancer, the Associated Press reported.

Guy Lafleur has died at the age of 70, his former team announced on Friday. Focus On Sport/Getty Images. CNN —.

He was also awarded the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP twice and was enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988. "You didn't need to see Guy Lafleur's name and number on his sweater when 'The Flower' had the puck on his stick. The cancer reappeared in October 2021.

National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman today released the following statement regarding the passing of Guy Lafleur.

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. On one of the most star-studded teams in hockey history, he was the marquee performer, lifting fans out of their seats chanting, 'Guy! Guy! Guy!' as he dazzled en route to six straight selections as NHL First-Team All-Star right winger and five Stanley Cups. "In 1974-75, his fourth year in the NHL, Lafleur transformed from productive to prolific, recording the first of his six straight seasons of at least 50 goals and 119 points.

He helped lead the team to five Stanley Cup titles and was the first player in N.H.L. history to score at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive ...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada wrote on Twitter that Lafleur “was unlike anyone else on the ice,” adding, “His speed, skill and scoring were hard to believe.” Lafleur was a magician on ice, a creative force who could deftly split defenses. He helped lead the team to five Stanley Cup titles and was the first player in N.H.L. history to score at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive years.

Guy Lafleur won five Stanley Cups with Montreal, including four in a row from 1976-79. He came out of retirement after being elected to Hall of Fame.

Guy Lafleur, one of the most acclaimed hockey players of all time who dazzled fans with his speed on the ice, has passed away at the age of 70.

Lafleur, known as "the Flower," was with the Canadiens in the 1970s and until 1985, when the team won five Stanley Cups. Lafleur's death took place just days after the passing of another hockey icon, Montrealer Mike Bossy. Lafleur was born in Thurso, Quebec, played for the Quebec Jr. Aces and Quebec Remparts, and made his reputation as a scorer with the latter team before joining the Canadiens in 1971. According to media reports, the cause of his death is not known yet, but in the last three years, he had quadruple bypass heart surgery, lung surgery, and in 2020, a recurrence of lung cancer.

The NHL world has lost another legend. Montreal Canadiens' scoring star and icon Guy Lafleur has died.

He initially retired from the NHL in 1985, at age 33, after the Canadiens denied his request for a trade, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998. “You didn’t need to see Guy Lafleur’s name and number on his sweater when ‘The Flower’ had the puck on his stick,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman in his statement on Lafleur’s passing. “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,” Canadiens’ president Geoff Molson said in a statement. Atop a heady list of superstars, Dionne still holds the record as the NHL’s all-time leading scorer from Quebec, with 1,771 points in 1,348 career games played. With the first pick in hand and a choice to make, the Canadiens selected Lafleur. In 1970, the Canadiens watched top prospect Gilbert Perreault be selected first overall by the expansion Buffalo Sabres, after he had played three seasons of junior hockey with the Montreal Jr. Canadiens.

Guy Lafleur is the Montreal Canadiens' all-time high scorer, with an astonishing 1246 points.

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Not only was Lafleur a prolific goal-scorer, he played hockey the way French Canadian fans loved to see it played, with panache. His death at 70 was ...

The breakthrough came in the 1974-75 season, when he was paired with left-winger Steve Shutt and scored 53 goals. But the Bruins took that famous too-many-men penalty, and then came the quintessential Lafleur goal with 74 seconds left. On top of that, Canadiens general manager Sam Pollock had used all of his infamous wiles to land Lafleur, who grew up in the small Quebec paper-mill town of Thurso. He decided the California Golden Seals were the best bet to finish last in the 1970-71 season, thus getting the first pick in the amateur draft. He picked up the puck in his own end, circled and then streaked up the right side. Lafleur was the lineal successor to Béliveau, and before him, Richard, as the Canadiens’ French superstar. “Of course, everybody in Montreal was comparing Lafleur to both Dionne and Martin,” Bowman said. When he got drafted by Montreal in ’71, they had just won the Cup, Béliveau had just retired. His grace and elegance were a closer match with the stately Béliveau, as Lafleur was a gifted playmaker as well as scorer. There was never an argument over who was the greatest star on the 1970s Bleu, Blanc et Rouge. Not only was Lafleur a prolific goal-scorer, but he also played hockey the way French Canadian fans loved to see it played, with style. By 1984, his former linemate Jacques Lemaire was the head coach, and they clashed over how the game should be played. They won four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1976 to 1979 with the 1976-77 team losing just eight of 80 games in the regular season. Fans still argue whether that version of the Canadiens or the one in the 1950s that won five consecutive Cups is the best.

Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur, who helped the Montreal Canadiens win five Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s, died at age 70.

“I idolized him as a player, I respected him as a person, and always cherished him as a friend. “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 in a statement. But he made a comeback later that year with the New York Rangers and then played two more seasons with the Quebec Nordiques before hanging up his skates for good in 1991. “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,” Molson said in a statement. “There’s miracles,” Lafleur said in his November interview with CP. “There’s people that are surviving.” “He wouldn’t let go. “As a boy in Montreal, Guy was larger than life to me,” fellow Hall of Fame forward Mario Lemieux said in a statement. “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.” “Throughout his career, he allowed us to experience great moments of collective pride. “It’s the chemotherapy that really hurts you badly,” Lafleur said in an interview with the Canadian Press in November. “Guy, he was a fighter,” Cournoyer said with a tremble in his voice. “A hero to so many of us,” Trudeau said in Winnipeg. “I remember meeting him as a kid and being overwhelmed in a way that meeting presidents and queens didn’t necessarily overwhelm me.”