Habs fans said goodbye to Guy Lafleur on Sunday as the late hockey legend lay in the state at the Bell Center in Montreal.
Nicknamed the Flower, the Montreal Canadiens icon played for the team for 14 years in the 1970s and 1980s and helped win five Stanley Cup trophies. He remains the leader in all-time results for the Habs.
Lafleur died at the age of 70 on April 22 after a battle with lung cancer.
“Out of respect for the public that has supported Guy over the years, the Lafleur family has agreed to share their grief with the community. And in accordance with the wishes of the family, all activities will reflect the image of the late hockey legend: they will be modest and accessible, “said the Canadians from Montreal in a statement last week.
Thousands of fans lined up in front of the Bell Center to pay their last respects to the hockey legend on Sunday. The long line was filled with many sweaters decorated with # 10 – Lafleur’s number. The public could pay their respects on Sunday from noon to 8 pm and will be able to do so on Monday from 10:30 am to 3 pm
Longtime fan Barry Widmark told CTV News that Lafleur was his childhood hero when he grew up and that he met him once in 1995.
Another fan who came from Lafleur’s hometown, Thurso, said he was “honored” to see Lafleur’s name and image around the city and that Lafleur always spread happiness.
Quebec Prime Minister Francois Lego also visited Lafleur’s coffin on Sunday.
“I remember moments I had with my father watching the game and hearing the audience say ‘Guy Guy Guy,'” he said. “It was something, it was something.”
It was a chant that often rose in the crowd in front of the Bell Center, waiting for their moment to say goodbye.
This emotion and admiration is something that a father in the crowd said he wanted to pass on to the next generation.
“My father told me about him,” the fan told CTV News. “He was a superstar of his time, an idol for the whole country, great.
Lego announced last weekend that the Quebec government will honor Lafleur with a national funeral reserved for Quebec residents who have made significant contributions to the province.
“(It’s) sad, of course. He was only 70. I’m 64, so it’s scary,” he told reporters at the Bell Center on Sunday afternoon. “I lost my father when I was young. He was 59 years old. So at the same time, I remember moments with my father watching Guy Lafleur and hearing the crowd say, “Guy, Guy, Guy!”
The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Mary Queen of the World Cathedral.
The Canadians failed to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs this year, but ended the season with a bang, scoring 10 goals against the Florida Panthers on Friday night – 10 as the number on the back of Lafleur’s shirt.
“We had 10 goals on Friday night. Some people said it was because of Guy Lafleur. Now it’s all number 10 (e) Guy Lafleur,” Lego said.
With files from CTV News Montreal, Alexandra May Jones from CTVNews.ca and Genevieve Boshemin from CTV National News
Comme beaucoup, je me suis rendu au Center Bell pour dire au revoir à Guy Lafleur aujourd’hui. A man to be the author of a world that is dismissed to pay homage to his heart. Thanks for everything, Guy! Thanks for inspiring us and making fires. On ne t’oubliera jamais! pic.twitter.com/GUGMT14YKU
– Francois Lego (@francoislegault) May 1, 2022
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