How good it was to find the whole family of the Canadian on the steps of the church.
Posted at 7:45 a.m.
There were former players. Some new. Captains. Recruits. Leaders past and present. Hundreds of fans, many of whom preferred the blue-white-red jersey to the black three-piece suit. Cousins from other Montreal teams. There were also politicians. Many, many politicians. In the front row, the Prime Minister of Quebec, that of Canada and the Mayor of Montreal. Behind them, probably as many as Guy Lafleur has scored goals in his career.
All had come to say goodbye to a loved one.
Yes, a relative. Not everyone knew the Blond Demon intimately, but it was enough to meet him once, in his life, to feel a single degree of separation from him.
Guy Lafleur’s closeness to people, documented a thousand times since his death, was at the heart of the testimonies on Tuesday at his funeral. Whether inside or on the forecourt of the Marie-Reine-du-Monde cathedral, several friends spoke of him as a welcoming, benevolent and generous big brother.
This was the case of Patrick Roy. The former goalkeeper gave a poignant testimony, recounting his first meeting with Guy Lafleur, during the Canadiens’ training camp in 1984.
PHOTO PAUL CHIASSON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Larry Robinson, Patrick Roy and Geoff Molson
“When I walked through the doors of the Forum and took the hallway to go to the locker room for my very first practice with the Montreal Canadiens, I took full measure of the hero who stood before me. A stature, presence, charisma. […] Intimidated, impressed, I lived a surreal moment. Before going out, he kicked me on the pads and said to me: hey, kid, welcome to the Canadiens.
“That’s it, Guy Lafleur. It’s heart, deep respect and boundless generosity. He’s the guy who takes the time, because he knows that for you, these few words will make all the difference. It’s his way of saying that now we’re on the same team. That he’s gonna be there for you, even if he’s gonna shoot you non-stop, for the next few minutes. »
Former Canadian captain Guy Carbonneau also underlined the benevolence of Guy Lafleur when he arrived with the big club.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Guy Carbonneau
“What made him really special was how he made people around him feel. He inspired them. He made them feel important. I am one of those that Guy has inspired. […]
“When I arrived at my first training camp with the Canadiens, I had to pinch myself. From the first days, I was paired with Steve Shutt and Guy Lafleur. From memory, I do not remember to have touched the puck only once, for fear of disappointing them. But I was on the ice, with my childhood idol. This guy had just won four Stanley Cups in a row. Guy had just won the Art-Ross, the Conn-Smythe, the Hart, in addition to having been named to the all-star team several times. Despite that, he was there, and did everything in his power to make me feel like I belonged. That was it, Guy Lafleur. A superstar, but also one of the boys. He was one of the most generous and approachable people I have met. »
Two personality traits on which Guy Lafleur’s sister-in-law, Francine Barré, added in a particularly moving speech.
“There was no barrier between the public and him. I can tell you that in the 50 years that we have been part of the same family, it has never happened that we can eat at a restaurant, or go to any place, without someone asking for an autograph. It was always with the same gratitude towards the people who showed him their affection that he signed, not without addressing a few words to each person he met. One could recognize the generous being that he was. »
Patrick Roy also made a nice nod to the tens of thousands of photos and autographs of Guy Lafleur lying around in the souvenir boxes of Quebecers, saying that “even us, the old ones, we have it, our photo with Guy Lafleur. We encapsulated this moment when he took the time. [Ce moment] where he listened to us, advised or supported us. As if to remember, in the end, that it is the team above all”.
The funeral ended with the release of the coffin, draped with the Canadiens logo, and carried by his sons and former teammates. A very poignant moment. The more the procession advanced towards the great doors of the cathedral, the more we felt that a whole era was slipping away from us. Already. Too fast.
Outside, a few people affectionately sang, “Guy, Guy, Guy. A beautiful echo of the chanting of the supporters, as well as the lyrics of the song The essentialwhich Ginette Reno had just performed admirably, a few moments earlier.
“ One of the greatest gifts life has given us
That’s when our first name sounds like a nice word
Guy. »