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Guy Lafleur 1951-2022


TurdBurglar

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The most exciting player to ever play the game,' the Flower' has passed away at age 70

 

He may not have been the best player to ever play, but there is no doubt he was the most dynamic and thrilling player to ever lace them up.
No one could bring the fans to their feet like 'the Flower' could in full stride. Picking up the puck behind his own net and taking flight down the right side of the rink, Lafleur ignited the crowd, bring everyone in the arena to their feet without even realizing they were doing so. It was just the flair, and the absolutely furious nature of his game that  transcended the ordinary level of entertainment, and lifted it to the heights of a spectacle. In full stride, le démon blond struck fear in the eyes of opposition players and in the hearts of their fans. Harry Sinden referred to him as the most dangerous player he ever saw play the game. Steve Shutt said that even Guy didn't know what Guy Lafleur was going to do next, so how could anyone else who ever played with or against him. There have been more complete players, better pure scorers and greater legends, but there were really none that compared to the pure level of flair and creativity that 'the Flower' was. The air was electric every time 'the Flower' had the puck on his stick.

There will probably never be a player quite like you were - Rest in Peace number 10.....

 

It's definitely been a tough week for the game with the passing of two legends, first Mike Bossy and now Guy Lafleur

 

gettyimages-115261516-594x594-1.jpg

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  • TurdBurglar changed the title to Guy Lafleur 1951-2022

Brings back many memories as a kid watching him.

Off the ice, i remember he was also larger than life (Longueil to QC is listed as 240km);

momtrealgazette:

 "Lafleur recalled driving his Ferrari from Longueuil to Quebec City in 55 minutes, leaving at 2 a.m. one morning, and also talked about the late-night car crash that almost killed him in 1979 after he fell asleep at the wheel and hit a fence. A post went through Lafleur’s windshield and the middle of the steering wheel, but he incredibly escaped with only a cut on his ear."

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Along with Dryden, Lafleur was my favourite player. Playing steer hockey as kid, I could never decide if I wanted play right wing, or be a goalie - usually went in goal, until I lost my shutout and than would go out and score.

 

he was a great player and just an extremely nice person to deal with. I remember quite a few end to end rushes, that led to spectacular goals. His first game in the old Calgary Corral, he had everyone out a very small pro-Calgary arena was serenading  him with “Guy, Guy, Guy”. There were so many great memories - was the obvious Don Cherry, too many men in the ice goal, the 4 straa was straight cup wins, sux 50 goal/100+ plus seasons - it was great time growing up being a habs fan.

 

Lots to remember, I remember I got to school one morning, hearing Lafleur had died (fell asleep in his sports car and hit a pole). This is long before 24/7 news coverage, in the internet, so one of my d owns and I sneaked out of school, to go to a phone booth outside a convenience store across the street from the school. We wanted to see if we could get Lafleur’s number from the operator to  see how he was🙄

 

he retired way too early and I hated Jacques Lemaire for a long time after that. I remember the game back in Montreal when he scored a couple against Roy. Lafleur scored, habs win, it was a good night.

 

I also remember interviewing Lafleur for my university newspaper during his last year for the Nordiques and writing and article of the torch being passed from Lafleur to Sakic.  Habs never did get a player like him ever again. Lafleur as a class act. He spent 15 minutes talking to a Calgary local guy who he had befriended 10-12 years earlier when the kid had gotten in an accident. Than he let me interview him while the other local media guys waited.

 

it’s too bad players in this days didn’t train better, ate better and took better care of their bodies. He’s a guy that could have, and should have been a part of the 86’ cup win, along with Robinson and Gainey.

 

RIP flower and thanks for the memories!

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1 hour ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

That is the one goal I will always remember.  Then Lambert scored in OT. One of the best ever.  RIP big guy!  You left me with a lot of fond memories. 

And what a great call ... "rather gingerly"

 

RIP Guy ... thanks for the thrills and the memories

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Interesting to watch that goal...Lafleur gets a really rather modest wind-up on that shot, and yet it takes off like a bullet. 

 

Gilbert's body language is terrible after the goal, too. It is a posture of utter defeat.

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43 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

 

Gilbert's body language is terrible after the goal, too. It is a posture of utter defeat.

 

Really hilarious goalie work. First toppling over like a statue and then slumped on the ice presumably in tears. 10/10

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Guy Lafleur stars in most of my earliest hockey memories...this one hurt.  I was handling it well until I saw Knuckles talking about Guy on the CTV news a little while ago;   when he choked up, it got me.

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5 hours ago, sbhatt said:

Guy Lafleur stars in most of my earliest hockey memories...this one hurt.  I was handling it well until I saw Knuckles talking about Guy on the CTV news a little while ago;   when he choked up, it got me.

 

Not surprised Knuckles would get a little choked up. He was a heart and soul kinda guy. 

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Happy to have memories of watching him live, as a Hab and as a Nordique. My brothers first NHL game. Simply the best of his era. RIP Guy. 

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In case anyone saw it ... POST DELETED

 

With serious caveats and warnings it referenced a Hockey30 (in many ways Quebec's Eklund, but snarkier) post about Price and Weber not being at the Lafleur Tribute game.

 

Tony Marinaro just confirmed that Price was at the game ... and as I said in the original post here, and as Marinaro said, Weber not being there is no surprise as he has been in Montreal only once or twice this season (to my knowledge).

 

 

 

 

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