Montreal Canadiens icon Guy Lafleur dead at 70
Montreal Canadiens icon Guy Lafleur has died at age 70, his wife said on Facebook.
Guy I love you, you are done suffering, we will miss you greatly," the statement read in French.
Lafleur, a hockey legend, captured five Stanley Cup titles and still holds the Canadiens records for points, assist and game-winning goals.
The entire Montreal Canadiens organization is mourning the loss of legendary Hall-of-Famer and Canadiens Ambassador Guy Lafleur, who passed away at the age of 70. Rest in peace, Guy," tweeted the Montreal Canadiens on Friday.
A cause of death was not immediately known, but Lafleur had been diagnosed with lung cancer. A cancerous white spot was discovered on Lafleur's right lung by chance in September 2019 when he was undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery. Two months later, the Hockey Hall of Fame winger went under the knife again to remove both the upper lobe of his lung and lymph nodes.
He received bad news in October 2020 that the cancer was back, which is when Lafleur began another round of cancer treatments including chemotherapy.
The National Hockey League mourns the passing of the iconic Guy Lafleur," reads a statement from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday. 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."
Bettman offered condolences to Lafleur's wife, Lise, his sons, Martin and Mark, his mother, Pierrette, his granddaughter, Sienna Rose, his four sisters and the entire Lafleur family.
Despite facing his own surgeries, cancer diagnosis and treatment, Lafleur partnered with Merck Canada for its campaign to raise awareness about early lung cancer detection.
Quebec Premier Francois Legault offered condolences to the family of the Hockey Hall of Famer on Friday.
One of the greatest players of his generation, Lafleur registered 518 goals and 728 assists in 14 seasons with Montreal.
The No. 1 pick in the 1971 NH draft added 133 points (57 goals, 76 assists) in 124 playoff contests to help the Canadiens win five Stanley Cup titles in the 1970s.
The player nicknamed The Flower" retired after the 1984-85 season, but returned in 1988-89 with the New York Rangers. He played the next two seasons with the Quebec Nordiques before hanging up his skates for good.
Named one of the NHL's 100 greatest players of all-time in 2017, Lafleur finished with a career total of 560 goals and 793 assists for 1,353 points in 1,126 games in his 17 seasons.
He holds the Canadiens' all-time record for assists and points, tied Steve Shutt for the most goals in a single season with 60, and scored at least 50 times in six straight campaigns from 1974-75 to 1979-80.
Lafleur won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading scorer three straight years from 1976 to 1978, the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 1977 and 1978, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1977.
A three-time winner (1976 to 1978) of the Ted Lindsay Award - known as the Lester B. Pearson Award at the time - as league MVP as voted on by members of the NHL Players' Association, he was also part of the Canadian team that hoisted the 1976 Canada Cup.
Lafleur underwent his quadruple bypass surgery in September 2019 after it was discovered four of his coronary arteries were fully blocked, and a fifth was clogged close to 90 per cent, during a routine medical exam to have his helicopter pilot's license renewed.
Once the cancer was discovered, he had one-third of his right lung removed by doctors two months later.
A chain smoker up until those health scares, Lafleur had been partnering with Merck Canada as part of its Be The MVP" campaign to raise awareness about early lung cancer detection.
There's not too many people that have a chance to grab it from the beginning," Lafleur said in his November interview with CP. Most people when they find out, it's Stage 4.
It's not too late, because there's miracles out there, and there's people that are surviving."
Lafleur, who had his No. 10 sweater retired by the Canadiens in 1985, hadn't been out in public much in recent years following his cancer diagnosis and the COVID-19 pandemic, but did get a thunderous ovation at the Bell Centre during Montreal's improbable run to last season's Cup final.
He also had his number retired by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in October.
I've been mostly stuck in the house since 2019," Lafleur said in November. Mentally, it's tough. Hopefully I get through this and get out of it with a victory.
It's the hope for everybody that has cancer."
More later
With files from Canadian Press.