Montreal Canadiens honors Guy Lafleur with chants, tribute before game
The Canadiens played tribute to the Hall of Famer, who died Friday at age 70, with a ceremony.
A video of Lafleur’s goals and of him lifting the Stanley Cup played at the Bell Centre before fans gave him a standing ovation that lasted more than 10 minutes.
On the boards, the usual ads were replaced by a simple tribute to Lafleur, listing his name, his number, his signature and the years of life — 1951 to 2022.
“It was an emotional night in Guy’s honor. We felt that Guy was with us in the third,” Canadiens interim coach Martin St. Louis said after the game, which Montreal lost 5-3. “Like I told my players, you play so many games in the league, you might remember a few regular-season games, but you will remember that one.
“On a night like this, if [the players] didn’t know what the Canadiens are to the province of Quebec. I think they know now tonight.”
Following the final buzzer, Brendan Gallagher led his teammates back onto the ice to salute Lafleur’s retired No. 10.
“That’s a big show of respect, I’m happy that [Gallagher] did that. Guy deserves that respect,” St. Louis said. “It’s important to give this to the next generation of players. The legacy is important.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.