|
|
Post by franko on Sept 18, 2007 9:00:24 GMT -5
Still in bloom Joe O'Connor
Tuesday, September 18, 2007TORONTO -Their voices were hushed, and their tone reverential as they whispered about Him. They had grey hair and sagging guts, but sitting in His presence in an auditorium at the Hockey Hall of Fame appeared to have transformed them into a bunch of star-struck little boys.
Even Rod Black, the veteran sportscaster and the master of ceremonies for the affair, was fighting a losing a battle with his rapidly fading professional composure.
"I love Guy Lafleur," Black gushed from the speaker's podium. "I knew everything from his hockey card. I know his middle name is Damien?I know his birthday is in a few days."
It will be his 56th.
The Montreal Canadiens legend was in the middle of Toronto Maple Leafs country yesterday to mark the 10th anniversary of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Company (RBRC) -- a not-for-profit organization that recycles old cell phones -- and one that Lafleur has been a spokesperson for since 2002.
It was an event with a green theme. But, really, it was an event about Guy: about approaching Lafleur with a perfectly preserved hockey card or a piece of paper, and asking him for an autograph.
The player known as the Flower retired from the NHL as a Quebec Nordique in 1991, after the third year of a mostly forgettable comeback that began with the New York Rangers. But his fans barely remember that Guy. For them, he is forever dressed in the bleu, blanc et rouge of the Canadiens, wearing No. 10 and roaring down the right wing at the Montreal Forum -- with his blond hair flying-- while the building echoes with the chants of "Guy ?Guy ?Guy."
But what other people can remember so clearly, Lafleur often missed. He was consumed by the moment or the move or the slap-shot he was about to let fly.
"You always hear , you remember that goal, and I say, 'No, I don't,' " Lafleur says with a laugh. "For us [old players], we are privileged to have that as an athlete."
The flowing blond locks are clipped short now, and the hair a little thinner. Lafleur says his knees ache, and his back hurts, and that his body is only really good for about eight games a year on the NHL oldtimers' circuit.
But he is busy with other things. Lafleur owns a restaurant about an hour outside of Montreal. He spends a couple of weeks a month on site, pulling 12-and 13-hour days and even putting on an apron and washing dishes when things get crazy in the kitchen.
Really, though, his job is to be Guy Lafleur, and it is a role he clearly relishes.
"I've been operating this place for the last five years, and I must have given away about 40,000 pictures, you know, hockey cards and things like that," Lafleur says. "I always say the day I won't sign any autographs, I'm going to start to worry about it."
He has a box of old game tapes at his house, but he never watches them. Lafleur happened upon an NHL Classics contest a while back while channel surfing. It was Game 7 -- the infamous too-many-men-on-the-ice Game 7 -- from the 1979 Stanley Cup semifinals involving the Canadiens and Don Cherry's Boston Bruins.
"The first and second period was done already," says Lafleur, who tied things up with 74 seconds to go in a game the Bruins would lose in overtime. "For the third period, I got in for the best. I was excited. I was excited about watching it, and excited about scoring that goal.
"Maybe not as much as 1979, but it was great."
Several of Lafleur's former teammates from Montreal's Stanley Cup dynasty years (1976-79) -- Jacques Lemaire, Larry Robinson, Mario Tremblay, Serge Savard, Bob Gainey -- have gone on to become scouts, coaches, and even NHL general managers. They are jobs that never held much appeal for the three-time scoring champion.
"As a player, I used to hate all the meetings," Lafleur says. "Hockey is improvisation, and that's the way I was." [sounds a bit like a current Hab that sometimes dipsy-doodles too much]He only went to two games at the Bell Centre last season. Mostly, Lafleur sits at home and watches the Canadiens on television, or he doesn't watch them at all.
"[When] somebody says, 'Don't you wish you would be out there', " Lafleur says. "I say, 'No. It's a different game. It's not the same. It's too commercialized.'
"For us, it was fun. It was fun. We were close to the fans and the fans were close to the players. And today, it's gone."
It wasn't yesterday. It was 1979 at the Hockey Hall of Fame, if only for a little while. The Flower, with a smile on his face and a black felt-tipped pen in place of a hockey stick.© National Post 2007 |
|
|
|
Post by habernac on Sept 23, 2007 22:44:04 GMT -5
My favourite Hab. Second place isn't even close. My Dad has watched them all, and says none are or were as exciting as him. One of the happiest days of my life was when I got to meet him during his first retirement. Dad was lucky enough to play against him. And he scored. Lafleur did as well, from centre ice. He was back in the league within months.
"As a player, I used to hate all the meetings," Lafleur says. "Hockey is improvisation, and that's the way I was." [sounds a bit like a current Hab that sometimes dipsy-doodles too much]
Yeah, I don't think that's a fair comparison. How many scoring titles does Kovalev have?
|
|
|
|
Post by clear observer on Sept 25, 2007 12:38:58 GMT -5
My favourite Hab. Second place isn't even close. My Dad has watched them all, and says none are or were as exciting as him. One of the happiest days of my life was when I got to meet him during his first retirement. Dad was lucky enough to play against him. And he scored. Lafleur did as well, from centre ice. He was back in the league within months. "As a player, I used to hate all the meetings," Lafleur says. "Hockey is improvisation, and that's the way I was." [sounds a bit like a current Hab that sometimes dipsy-doodles too much] Yeah, I don't think that's a fair comparison. How many scoring titles does Kovalev have? In fact, Guy "dipsy-doodled" very rarely....he didn't have to...he'd just blow right by his defenders. He was more of a "give-and-go" player as his collossal career-assist total indicates. Extremely unselfish with the puck, Guy was a superlative passer who had an uncanny knack for finding an open man...often without looking...just ask Shutt, Lemaire, Mahovlich and Larouche. But maaaaaaaaaan, did he ever have a rocket of a shot; both wrist and slapper. My all-time favourite. |
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 25, 2007 13:43:51 GMT -5
My favourite Hab. Second place isn't even close. My Dad has watched them all, and says none are or were as exciting as him. One of the happiest days of my life was when I got to meet him during his first retirement. Dad was lucky enough to play against him. And he scored. Lafleur did as well, from centre ice. He was back in the league within months. "As a player, I used to hate all the meetings," Lafleur says. "Hockey is improvisation, and that's the way I was." [sounds a bit like a current Hab that sometimes dipsy-doodles too much] Yeah, I don't think that's a fair comparison. How many scoring titles does Kovalev have? In fact, Guy "dipsy-doodled" very rarely....he didn't have to...he'd just blow right by his defenders. He was more of a "give-and-go" player as his collossal career-assist total indicates. Extremely unselfish with the puck, Guy was a superlative passer who had an uncanny knack for finding an open man...often without looking...just ask Shutt, Lemaire, Mahovlich and Larouche. But maaaaaaaaaan, did he ever have a rocket of a shot; both wrist and slapper. My all-time favourite. Dick Irvin said that they couldn't practice the PP in team practices with Lafleur on the ice because he always found a way to "foul it up." Irvin went on to say that Lafleur rarely took a night off either during practice or in a game. I last saw Lafleur play in the Forum, but in a Nordiques sweater. The place would erupt every time he touched the puck .... Nowadays we hear "HUET HUET HUET" or "GUI GUI GUI" but the traditional "GUY GUY GUY" still gives me goosebumps today. Plenty of immitations nowadays .... nothing like the original days. Cheers. |
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Sept 25, 2007 19:50:33 GMT -5
'78 Conf. Finals--Lafleur GoalI'm going to start a new thread of "Classic Habs Clips"....but this one belongs here. Lafleur scoring against Toronto in the 78 Conference Finals to see who goes on to the Finals. Duh..... That was the year Lanny McDonald scored in Game 7 OT to knock out the Islanders. The Habs beat the Leafs in 4 straight, outscoring them 16-6. This goal came in either Game 1 or Game 2. Mondou-Houle-Lafleur, Savard- Robinson vs. Williams-Sittler-McDonald, Turnbull-Valiquette. Toronto had 4 forwards on the ice and 1 d-man. Poor Palmateer never had a chance. Goosebumps to hear Gallivan any time. Habs can only imagine 5-on-5 play like this. Chapeau, Guy! I wish I could find his game-tieing goal vs. Boston in Game 7, 1979.
|
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Sept 16, 2010 14:39:58 GMT -5
October 29, 1977. His 250th goal. Lemaire just backhands a pass in Lafleur's direction. Before it can reach the Kings' player, Lafleur tips it one-handed up and around him, then sneaks in behind. Before he picks it up, he hesitates for a split-second to elude Manery's stick swing. He gets the puck, stops, and pulls it back to his forehand for the quick wrister.....from almost a standstill.
How often he made something out of nothing with the quickness of lightning.
I hope I never forget how much magic he spun for the CH.
========================================
EDIT:
Perhaps some lazy backchecking from the Kings' forward who reaches him just after the shot....but Lafleur did that to a lot of teams. You couldn't afford to let up on him....he came to play every game.
On the ice for the Habs....perhaps their signature 6-man shift of that era. Shutt-Lemaire-Lafleur. Robinson-Savard. Dryden. All 6 future HOFamers.
|
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 16, 2010 21:29:31 GMT -5
October 29, 1977. His 250th goal. Lemaire just backhands a pass in Lafleur's direction. Before it can reach the Kings' player, Lafleur tips it one-handed up and around him, then sneaks in behind. Before he picks it up, he hesitates for a split-second to elude Manery's stick swing. He gets the puck, stops, and pulls it back to his forehand for the quick wrister.....from almost a standstill. How often he made something out of nothing with the quickness of lightning. I hope I never forget how much magic he spun for the CH. ======================================== EDIT: Perhaps some lazy backchecking from the Kings' forward who reaches him just after the shot....but Lafleur did that to a lot of teams. You couldn't afford to let up on him....he came to play every game. And Claude Mouton with the announcement of the goal. Ah, the triggers. Cheers. |
|
|
|
Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Sept 21, 2010 11:05:39 GMT -5
Was Guy's 59th birthday yesterday. Here's another great trigger of Le Démon Blond.
Had to look up the date; January 5th, 1991, Nordiques at Canadiens in the old Forum. The first and only time I saw Lafleur in a Nordique's uniform. Every time he touched the puck it was, "GUY! GUY! GUY!" The Forum just echoed it for most of the game and just about everyone in the crowd wanted to see Guy score at least a goal.
Montreal wins, though, 3-0. The winner came in the third period, from just outside the blueline by Stephan Richer; in full-flight with one of his trademark slapshots. Tugnutt had played brilliantly up to that point. Stephan Lebeau also scored but I can't remember who had the other one.
But, it was Guy's building on that night. Still makes me smile actually.
Cheers.
|
|
|
|
Post by 24in93 on Sept 21, 2010 14:57:05 GMT -5
I remember his first return to the Forum was with the Rangers. He scored 2 goals that game and the building was electric. I remember there being talk around town that tickets for the game were going for huge dollars.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bones on Nov 30, 2010 20:04:05 GMT -5
I remember his first return to the Forum was with the Rangers. He scored 2 goals that game and the building was electric. I remember there being talk around town that tickets for the game were going for huge dollars. All you'll need to know about the flower... |
|
|
|
Post by GNick99 on Oct 30, 2011 9:56:50 GMT -5
Anybody remember what year(s) Guy Lafluer wore a helmet? Not a trivia question or anything do with memoriablia instead.
|
|
|
|
Post by blny on Oct 30, 2011 15:38:08 GMT -5
I think it was his first season, no?
|
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Oct 30, 2011 16:07:04 GMT -5
First and second years for sure.
71-72 and 72-73.
|
|
|
|
Post by CentreHice on Nov 3, 2011 1:44:13 GMT -5
Just saw a clip from Feb. 17, 1974...the brawl with Philly, in which Robinson got the best of Schultz. As it's breaking up, I spot a helmeted #10. So, that makes it his first 3 years for sure. EDIT: Don't know if I've told this story on this board or not...(probably have  ). In the late 80s, I was playing ball hockey once a week in a gym with a bunch of great guys who became extremely competitive once the ball dropped. One of them was Tom Cassidy, who had a cup of coffee with the Penguins in 1977-78 (26 games). A few of us were Habs' fans, so he told us that playing against Lafleur and Company was almost futile. He said, "You'd lose the puck deep in the Habs' zone, and by the time you turned around and got back to the centre red line, Montreal would've already scored or had a shot on net. Unbelievable speed and skill relative to the era. Not even close, he said. |
|
The Lords Of The Rings
).