In Memoriam RIP Guy Lafleur (1951-2022)

[KillerMillerTime]

The Habs of the 1970s were incredible and there will never be a team to rival them. I remember the fear when watching the Bruins play them. Their play was almost flawless, they were terrifying. I absolutely loathed them, they broke my heart so many times. Guy Lafleur was a huge part of those teams. RIP Guy Lafleur, you are a legend. Way too young.

Think they lost only 8 games in the 1976-77 season and Boston beat them 3 of those times. Gave false hope to B's fans before the series started and B's were swept.

 

[Lordstanley]

Some of the best times and memories was watching this Sniper play against us , especially in the playoffs many Hockey Moons Ago. I have to say next to Orr....this Guy was my favorite all time. In overdrive no one could keep up. He needed and wanted the puck. Great Person .....Great Player. You know you are getting old when your childhood hero's head upstairs. Rest in Peace Flower....You will always be in this's kid heart and memory. How could'nt you appreciate a player with so much love for the game. RIP

 

[Mathews28]

Can’t say I hated him. Not even close. Scared the sh*t out of me any time he was on the ice in a key situation. Mine was a general Habs hatred, although I had specific disdain for guys like tremblay, richer, Kordic, lambert, nilan.

RIP #10. It was a pleasure watching you play.

 

[GordonHowe]

We don't need a moment of silence for the Flower.

Raise it to the rafters.

 

[Fenway]

 

[Bradely]

I was at Rempart game tonite, and Roy and the Rempart did a good job and honored Guy L. RIP G Lafleur. Loved the guy even in bleu blanc rouge. A hockey legend, gentlemen, integrity and proud man, and great hockey ambassador. Sad day, sad month with those two Bossy and Lafleur passing away. My sympathy to his family, friends, Habs fans and all the hockey community. Life goes fast and even the legend passes away.... Bon voyage monsieur Lafleur et merci......

 

[Fenway]

Lafleur underachieved his first 3 years with Montreal partly because he wore a helmet.......

“I started playing well as I decided to not wear a helmet,” he said in 1983

Somehow Montreal conned the Oakland owner to get him or Marcel Dionne in the 1971 draft

With Lafleur and fellow French-Canadian Marcel Dionne among the top prospects in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, the Habs' general manager, Sam Pollock, was keen to find a way to trade to obtain one of the top two picks. He persuaded California Golden Seals owner Charlie Finley to trade the Seals' 1971 first-round pick and François Lacombe in return for Montreal's 1970 first-round pick and veteran Ernie 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.

 

[BostonBob]

With Lafleur and fellow French-Canadian Marcel Dionne among the top prospects in the 1971 NHL Amateur Draft, the Habs' general manager, Sam Pollock, was keen to find a way to trade to obtain one of the top two picks. He persuaded California Golden Seals owner Charlie Finley to trade the Seals' 1971 first-round pick and François Lacombe in return for Montreal's 1970 first-round pick and veteran Ernie 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.

The Kings were pretty bad that season too so to ensure that LA finished ahead of Oakland Pollack sent Ralph Backstrom to LA for a couple of stiffs. Backstrom scored 27 points in 33 games with LA and the Kings finished 18 points ahead of last place California.

 

[Fenway]

The Kings were pretty bad that season too so to ensure that LA finished ahead of Oakland Pollack sent Ralph Backstrom to LA for a couple of stiffs. Backstrom scored 27 points in 33 games with LA and the Kings finished 18 points ahead of last place California.

Here is the kicker....

If Montreal doesn't pull off that trade - How many Cups does Boston win in the late '70s?

 

[Fenway]

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4:17 | July 5, 2021
Ron MacLean is joined by Guy Lafleur to discuss some beloved memories with the Montreal Canadiens as well as what he thinks about the 2020-21 team.



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[Fenway]

 

[Fenway]

 

[BostonBob]

Here is the kicker....

If Montreal doesn't pull off that trade - How many Cups does Boston win in the late '70s?

I always look at the talent Boston lost during those first few Expansion Drafts and wonder the same thing.

1967 Expansion Draft
Bernie Parent ( Philadelphia )
Joe Watson ( Philadelphia )
Bill Goldsworthy ( Minnesota )
JP Parise ( Oakland )
Gary Dornhoefer ( Philadelphia )

1972 Expansion Draft
Dan Bouchard ( Atlanta )
Ed Westfall ( NY Islanders )

 

[Terrier]

Per Billy Jaffe, NESN will air the pregame tribute to Guy before Sunday night's Bruins-Habs game.

 

[TP70BruinsCup]

When we played them in the 70’s, the Habs always looked like they had an extra guy out there they were that good. Guy was the player that always stood out. He brought his best against us and as painful as those days were, you had to respect him for that. The way he skated straight up the ice, fearless, won’t be seen again. Players today have no idea what the game was like back then. Much easier to watch than the system based mindless crap we see so often today. Guy scored a goal and didn’t jump around like a lunatic we see so often now. Today’s players are strong and are athletes for sure. Players in the 70’s like Guy, Bossy, Orr…..were true hockey players. Huge difference.

RIP Guy and God Bless your soul.

 

[missingchicklet]

Like with so many Montreal greats over time, I had a lot of respect for Guy despite hating him when he played against the Bs. It's nuts that two absolute legends left us over the past week. It was too soon for them to go.

 

[BMC]

Guy Lafleur had wings on his skates.

May he rest in peace.

 

[JianYang]

When we played them in the 70’s, the Habs always looked like they had an extra guy out there they were that good. Guy was the player that always stood out. He brought his best against us and as painful as those days were, you had to respect him for that. The way he skated straight up the ice, fearless, won’t be seen again. Players today have no idea what the game was like back then. Much easier to watch than the system based mindless crap we see so often today. Guy scored a goal and didn’t jump around like a lunatic we see so often now. Today’s players are strong and are athletes for sure. Players in the 70’s like Guy, Bossy, Orr…..were true hockey players. Huge difference.

RIP Guy and God Bless your soul.

The thing with those 70s habs is that I think they were the pioneers of the systematic hockey we see today.

You had lemaire who changed hockey with his coaching style. He came from the bowman school. Lamiorello also made no secrets that he blueprinted the devils based on the Canadiens. Back in the 80s when teams were scoring like crazy, the habs still stuck to defense with coaches like lemaire and burns.

But as Dryden wrote in his book, lafleur would be the first guy to screw up a drill in practice. He needed to play to the beat of his own drum. Now, I never got to see guy play in his prime, but Ive heard people here mention that he was not that great on the PP either.

He just didn't sound like a systems guy whatsoever, even in a system like the PP which would be designed with offense in mind.

I guess what I'm getting at is that as heavily institutionalized the habs were, I feel like they still recognized that they are better off to give lafleur a free pass of sorts.... And I'm not sure anyone else in the league at the time would have got a similar treatment in the same shoes.

 

[TP70BruinsCup]

The thing with those 70s habs is that I think they were the pioneers of the systematic hockey we see today.

You had lemaire who changed hockey with his coaching style. He came from the bowman school. Lamiorello also made no secrets that he blueprinted the devils based on the Canadiens. Back in the 80s when teams were scoring like crazy, the habs still stuck to defense with coaches like lemaire and burns.

But as Dryden wrote in his book, lafleur would be the first guy to screw up a drill in practice. He needed to play to the beat of his own drum. Now, I never got to see guy play in his prime, but Ive heard people here mention that he was not that great on the PP either.

He just didn't sound like a systems guy whatsoever, even in a system like the PP which would be designed with offense in mind.

I guess what I'm getting at is that as heavily institutionalized the habs were, I feel like they still recognized that they are better off to give lafleur a free pass of sorts.... And I'm not sure anyone else in the league at the time would have got a similar treatment in the same shoes.

Well said! I remember that Lafleur hated to practice the PP - it had to be natural for him. Sometimes that makes more sense. But the game has changed. Still, he went on instinct. Just the greatest ever did…..Bobby Orr!

 

[nORRis8]

How can a person that has given me personally so much disappointment gain so much of my respect? Generally I'd hate that person.

Yet, being an old fart and cheering for the Bruins since 1970 it wasn't just Lafleur....it was Dryden, Serge Savard, Roadrunner, Shutt, Lemaire, Rejean Houle (who I had a beer with at Hotel McDonald in Edmonton at his suite when he was GM )

But with Guy Lafleur, he was the guy. You sat up in your seat, you grabbed the armrest of your chair just a bit tighter, you clenched your beer when he headed up ice.
And when he did score no jumping around like a freak.... couple glove taps and off to the bench.

Montreal loved him, we respected him.
He'll be missed.

 

[JianYang]

How can a person that has given me personally so much disappointment gain so much of my respect? Generally I'd hate that person.

Yet, being an old fart and cheering for the Bruins since 1970 it wasn't just Lafleur....it was Dryden, Serge Savard, Roadrunner, Shutt, Lemaire, Rejean Houle (who I had a beer with at Hotel McDonald in Edmonton at his suite when he was GM )

But with Guy Lafleur, he was the guy. You sat up in your seat, you grabbed the armrest of your chair just a bit tighter, you clenched your beer when he headed up ice.
And when he did score no jumping around like a freak.... couple glove taps and off to the bench.

Montreal loved him, we respected him.
He'll be missed.

Call me old school, but the lack of celebration is a such a boss move. It's as if to say in the most respectful way possible "that was easy.... Thats just what I do, and I'll do it again". It's actually kind of intimidating in a way when you play against guys like that.

Orr was like that too.

 

[quietbruinfan]

He was a natural maybe the natural. With his straight up skating style, he flashed across the ice. I can still see him rocketing down the wing, blasting in a slapper with a three quarter take back. RIP.

 

[BostonBob]

Call me old school, but the lack of celebration is a such a boss move. It's as if to say in the most respectful way possible "that was easy.... Thats just what I do, and I'll do it again". It's actually kind of intimidating in a way when you play against guys like that.

Orr was like that too.

There's a well known story about famous Dallas Head Coach Tom Landry dealing with rookie Tony Dorsett. After Dorsett scored his first NFL Touchdown he did a little celebrating on the field before going back to the Dallas sideline. Once he got there Landry pulled Dorsett aside and told him that from now on whenever Dorsett scored a TD to act like he's done it before and that he knows he'll do it again.

 

[22Brad Park]

The Habs of the 1970s were incredible and there will never be a team to rival them. I remember the fear when watching the Bruins play them. Their play was almost flawless, they were terrifying. I absolutely loathed them, they broke my heart so many times. Guy Lafleur was a huge part of those teams. RIP Guy Lafleur, you are a legend. Way too young.

I still remember that New Years game at old Montreal Forum vs Red Army.Habs dominated and were up 3-1 before Petrov and Kharlamov struck to tie it.Red Army had some powerful teams but that night they were lucky to get that tie.Yup them habs teams were strong.

 

[caz16]

I still remember that New Years game at old Montreal Forum vs Red Army.Habs dominated and were up 3-1 before Petrov and Kharlamov struck to tie it.Red Army had some powerful teams but that night they were lucky to get that tie.Yup them habs teams were strong.

Probably the most perfect game to ever have been played. Amazing hockey.