The world has lost another hockey great. Guy Lafleur, the top pick in the 1971 draft, passed away Friday morning.
Lafleur spent most of his career with the Montreal Canadiens during the years of “firewagon” hockey in the 1970s when they reeled off four straight Stanley Cups between1976 and 1979.
Probably his most famous goal came in 1979 in Game 7 of the semi-final vs. the Boston Bruins, when he tied the game in the dying seconds after the Bruins, coached by Don Cherry, took a penalty for too many men. The Habs put them away in overtime, then went on to dispose of the New York Rangers in 5 games in the final.
Lafleur had been to NL many times over the years, including a few years ago when he and fellow Hall of Famer Steve Shutt were at the CLB in St. John’s to help raise money through an auction of hockey memorabilia.
(Buddy the Puffin with Habs legend Guy LaFleur and NHL columnist Dave Stubbs.)
VOCM’s Brian Madore emceed the event.
“It remains one of the highlights of my life, sitting at the head table between two of my boyhood idols. Guy was larger than life to me and the stories from him and Shutt that evening had all of us riveted.”
He scored 560 goals and had 793 assists during his NHL career.
