Guy Lafleur
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Guy Damien Lafleur, OC, CQ, (born September 20, 1951 in Thurso, Quebec), is one of the greatest and most popular players ever to play professional ice hockey. Between 1971 and 1991, he played for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques in an NHL career spanning 17 seasons and five Stanley Cup championships.
Playing career
Always a popular player during his career, Canadiens fans would chant "Guy, Guy, Guy!" when he touched the puck. As a small boy, Guy Lafleur's love of hockey was such that he would sleep in his hockey outfit then be up at the crack of dawn to race to the locked skating rink where he found a way inside to practice. As an adult, his enthusiasm never waned, and he would be in his hockey uniform, skates tied tight, sweater on and a stick in hand at 4 o'clock in the afternoon for an 8 o'clock game. During his playing career, the press affectionately dubbed him "The Flower", which is a literal translation from "la fleur" in French. While "The Flower" is not a nickname usually associated with a hockey player, it was one spoken in admiration, not scorn.In his teens, Lafleur gained considerable recognition for his play as a member of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he led his team to the Memorial Cup in 1971. At the time, Lafleur idolized Jean Beliveau and Bobby Orr.
Montreal Canadiens' astute General Manager, Sam Pollock was keen to find a way to ensure Lafleur wound up in a Montreal uniform and made a trade with the California Golden Seals to obtain their first round draft pick. Drafted No.1 overall, Lafleur went on to play right wing in the National Hockey League from 1971-72 through the 1984-85 season.
At first, Lafleur struggled to live up to expectations in the league but by 1975, he had developed his trademark smooth skating style and scoring touch. He was a cornerstone of five Stanley Cup championship teams, scored a Canadiens franchise record 1,246 points (518 goals and 728 assists), and led the NHL in scoring in 1976, 1977, and 1978 (Art Ross Trophy).
During the 1978 Stanley Cup finals, Boston Bruins head coach Don Cherry ordered his players to put their sticks up when ever they encountered Lafleur. At the end of the series, Lafleur's head was swathed in bandages after numerous slashes from Bruin players.
After Montreal won the Stanley Cup in 1978, 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 neighbors to see.
While driving home on March 24, 1980, Lafleur fell asleep at the wheel of his sports car and crashed into a highway fence. He was nearly decapitated when a metal post pierced the windshield missing his head by inches while tearing off part of his ear.
He became the first player in NHL history to score at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons. In some regards, Lafleur was the predecessor to the rise of hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky during the 1980s and 1990s. Just as importantly, he played with a thrilling style that marked him out as the most exciting professional hockey player of his era and, arguably, of all time.
With Scotty Bowman, Ken Dryden, and several other key players retiring after the conclusion of the 1979 season, the Canadiens' dynasty came to an end, losing in the first round of the 1980 playoffs to the Minnesota North Stars. Injuries shortened Lafleur's 1980-1981 season and his production dropped significantly (during the past six seasons, Lafleur had hit or exceeded 100 points and 50 goals). In the following seasons, he was being overshadowed by Mike Bossy and Wayne Gretzky. During the 1984-1985 season, having gone much of the season without being able to score a goal, he decided to retire.
After being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Lafleur returned to the NHL briefly from 1988-89 through 1990-91 with the New York Rangers and the Quebec Nordiques (now Colorado Avalanche). Lafleur remained one of the few players that did not wear protective helmets. During his first game back in the Montreal Forum, he scored twice against Patrick Roy during the Rangers' 7-5 loss to the Canadiens. 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 the Patrick Division until being knocked out by a knee injury. Lafleur then followed dismissed Rangers head coach and close friend Michael Bergeron to the Nordiques for his final seasons. Intending to finish his hockey career in Quebec where he had started, he reportedly turning down a $1 million offer from the Los Angeles Kings.
Overall, Lafleur won three Art Ross Trophies (leading scorer in the NHL), two Hart Memorial Trophies (NHL most valuable player), three Lester B. Pearson Awards (most valuable player as selected by the other NHL players), and one Conn Smythe Trophy (most valuable player in the playoffs). He was a member of the Canadian team in the 1976 and 1981 Canada Cup tournaments, winning the Cup in 1976, and was the recipient of the Lou Marsh Award as Canada's most outstanding athlete in 1977.
Lafleur was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. Along with Gordie Howe before him and Mario 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. He still holds the record for the most career point and assist totals in Montreal Canadiens history, as well as the second-highest goal total behind Maurice "Rocket" Richard. Lafleur was the sixth Montreal Canadiens' player to have his sweater number retired.
In April 2001, Lafleur placed 122 items - including 5 miniature Stanley Cups, 6 miniature Prince of Wales trophies, 1977 Conn Smythe Trophy, 3 Art Ross trophies, Hockey Hall of Fame plaque and ring, games-used jerseys, 4 Stanley Cup rings, and the first skates he ever wore - for sale. The items selling price totalled to about $400,000 USD.
Besides the honours received during his playing career, in 1980 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2005, he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec.
Lafleur currently operates a helicopter rental company in Montreal that shuttles VIPs to and from the airport. He was at the controls when the Tampa Bay Lightning's Andre Roy proposed to his fiance, the Stanley Cup serving as the engagement ring bearer.
Awards
- Art Ross Trophy - 1976, 1977, 1978
- Lester B. Pearson Award - 1976, 1977, 1978
- Hart Memorial Trophy - 1977, 1978
- Conn Smythe Trophy - 1977
- Lou Marsh Award - 1977
- His number 10 was retired by the Montreal Canadiens on February 16, 1985
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988
- Inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1996
- QMJHL's Guy Lafleur Trophy, for playoff MVP, is named in his honour
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1966-67 | Quebec Junior Aces | QJHL | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1967-68 | Quebec Junior Aces | QJHL | 43 | 30 | 19 | 49 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1968-69 | Quebec Junior Aces | QJHL | 49 | 50 | 60 | 110 | 83 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1969-70 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 56 | 103 | 67 | 170 | 105 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1970-71 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 62 | 130 | 79 | 209 | 135 | 14 | 22 | 21 | 43 | 49 | ||
| 1971-72 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 73 | 29 | 35 | 64 | 48 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1972-73 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 70 | 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 | 1127 | 560 | 793 | 1353 | 399 | 128 | 58 | 76 | 134 | 67 | ||||
See also
- List of Quebecers
- Retired NHL Players
- List of members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
- Hockey Hall of Fame
- List of NHL statistical leaders
- List of NHL seasons
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
- List of NHL players with 500 goals
External link
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