We collect cookies to analyze our website traffic and performance; we never collect any personal data. Cookie Policy
Accept
NEW YORK DAWN™NEW YORK DAWN™NEW YORK DAWN™
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • Trending
  • New York
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
  • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Art
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: Even on the Glamorous Canadiens, Guy Lafleur Was a Rock Star
Share
Font ResizerAa
NEW YORK DAWN™NEW YORK DAWN™
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • New York
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
  • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Art
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Follow US
NEW YORK DAWN™ > Blog > Sports > Even on the Glamorous Canadiens, Guy Lafleur Was a Rock Star
Even on the Glamorous Canadiens, Guy Lafleur Was a Rock Star
Sports

Even on the Glamorous Canadiens, Guy Lafleur Was a Rock Star

Last updated: April 22, 2022 9:33 pm
Editorial Board Published April 22, 2022
Share
SHARE
22nhl lafleur 1 facebookJumbo

Panache was the word for Guy Lafleur, a towering figure in Montreal hockey history who swooped down the right wing for the Canadiens in the 1970s, golden locks flowing behind, before freezing many a goaltender with his deadly slapshot.

Lafleur, often described as a rock star on the N.H.L.’s most glamorous team of the era, died after three years of undergoing treatment for lung cancer, his sister Lise Lafleur announced on Friday. He was 70 years old.

In Lafleur’s prime, the Montreal Canadiens were arguably the greatest team in league history. 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.

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. Fans around the N.H.L. knew him as The Flower, the literal translation of Lafleur, but in Quebec his nickname was the more fitting Le Démon Blond.

He combined the best traits of his predecessors, the Quebec hockey icons Maurice (Rocket) Richard and Jean Béliveau. While Lafleur did not have Richard’s sheer power on his skates, he did have an assassin’s eyes as he neared the net with the puck on his stick. His grace and elegance were a closer match with the stately Béliveau, as Lafleur was a gifted playmaker as well as scorer.

For six consecutive seasons, from 1974-75 through 1979-80, Lafleur scored at least 50 goals. He played 961 games for the Canadiens from 1971 to 1984, finishing with 1,246 points, which is still the franchise record.

Lafleur’s playing days with the Canadiens did not end well. By 1984, his former linemate Jacques Lemaire was the head coach, and they clashed over how the game should be played. Lafleur retired early in the 1984-85 season but came back four years later — after he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame — to play three more seasons with the New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques.

“He was a great player,” said Scotty Bowman, who was the head coach of the Canadiens from 1971 to 1979. “I don’t know if any player in history had the pressure he did. When he got drafted by Montreal in ’71, they had just won the Cup, Béliveau had just retired.

“Those were big shoes to fill, coming into Montreal to replace a player that you can’t replace.”

Lafleur was the lineal successor to Béliveau, and before him, Richard, as the Canadiens’ French superstar. This was no easy position in hockey-mad Montreal. Immediate success was demanded.

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. Pollock persuaded the Seals to trade the pick, and later, when it looked like the Los Angeles Kings might fall below the Seals in the standings, Pollock traded veteran center Ralph Backstrom to Los Angeles. Backstrom ran up 27 points in 33 games, and the Kings stayed ahead of the Seals, which allowed Pollock to take Lafleur first overall.

But the Canadiens had lots of talent, and even a prodigy like Lafleur had to earn his spot in the lineup. This did not mollify the fans, especially when two French Canadian players taken just after Lafleur in the 1971 draft, Marcel Dionne (Detroit Red Wings) and Richard Martin (Buffalo Sabres), started scoring immediately.

“Of course, everybody in Montreal was comparing Lafleur to both Dionne and Martin,” Bowman said. “They were playing regular minutes, and he wasn’t. He had a lot to overcome. It took a while.

“He was a quiet guy — never complained about his lot. There was a lot of pressure on him, but he kept it to himself,” he said.

The breakthrough came in the 1974-75 season, when he was paired with left-winger Steve Shutt and scored 53 goals. For much of the next 10 years, they were one of the most feared duos in the league.

Lafleur’s most famous goal came on May 10, 1979, when the Canadiens were on the verge of losing their chance for a fourth consecutive Stanley Cup. With two minutes left in the third period, they were down 4-3 to the Boston Bruins in the seventh and deciding game of the Cup semifinal.

But the Bruins took that famous too-many-men penalty, and then came the quintessential Lafleur goal with 74 seconds left. He picked up the puck in his own end, circled and then streaked up the right side. Lafleur sent the puck to Lemaire, who carried it into the Boston zone with Lafleur behind him. Lemaire left a drop pass, and Lafleur, in full flight with his dirty-blond mane streaming, stepped into a slapshot that left Boston goaltender Gilles Gilbert sprawled on his back.

The goal sent the game into overtime, and Yvon Lambert scored to win it for the Canadiens. The New York Rangers were dispatched in five games, and the Canadiens, and Lafleur, had a fourth championship.

You Might Also Like

Giants’ urgency should begin now in OTAs to arrange for gauntlet 2025 schedule

Current playoff historical past suggests the Knicks are in hassle coming into Recreation 4 vs. Pacers

Kayla Thornton returns to Barclays Middle for 1st time since becoming a member of Golden State Valkyries

Bodycam video reveals cops investigating Brittney Griner ‘Gay Baby Jail’ word

Yankees’ Ryan Yarbrough thriving with ‘funky’ look, ‘wiffle ball’ stuff as MLB chases velo

TAGGED:Beliveau, Jean Arthur (1931-2014)Content Type: Personal ProfileHockey, IceLafleur, GuyMontreal (Quebec)Montreal CanadiensNational Hockey LeagueThe Washington Mail
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Print

Follow US

Find US on Social Medias
FacebookLike
TwitterFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TelegramFollow
Popular News
Qatayef, a Dessert That Sweetens Ramadan
Trending

Qatayef, a Dessert That Sweetens Ramadan

Editorial Board March 30, 2022
Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce’s KC-area mansions burglarized: report
4 Tricks to Create A Fashionable Christmas Aesthetic at House this Vacation Season
UiPath’s new orchestrator guides AI brokers to observe your enterprise’s guidelines
Yankees Pocket book: Aaron Boone has had some extension talks, Jake Cousins injured

You Might Also Like

Francisco Lindor’s walk-off sac fly caps Mets’ comeback win over White Sox
Sports

Francisco Lindor’s walk-off sac fly caps Mets’ comeback win over White Sox

May 27, 2025
WINFIELD: Karl-Anthony Cities lit a spark. The Knicks must feed the fireplace
Sports

WINFIELD: Karl-Anthony Cities lit a spark. The Knicks must feed the fireplace

May 26, 2025
Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau 3 wins shy of 1st NBA Finals look as head coach
Sports

Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau 3 wins shy of 1st NBA Finals look as head coach

May 26, 2025
Mets Pocket book: Sean Manaea to throw dwell bullpen session, with rehabbing Jose Siri among the many batters
Sports

Mets Pocket book: Sean Manaea to throw dwell bullpen session, with rehabbing Jose Siri among the many batters

May 26, 2025

Categories

  • Health
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Technology
  • World
  • Art

About US

New York Dawn is a proud and integral publication of the Enspirers News Group, embodying the values of journalistic integrity and excellence.
Company
  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • Accessibility Statement
Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
Term of Use
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices
© 2024 New York Dawn. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?