I had the pleasure of attending the party in honor of Guy Lafleur last night at the Forum. Along with the Canadian Alumni, I gave Guy some fishing gear and he also got a pass to the Alumni Lounge at the Forum.
Posted at 1:00 p.m.
I, who am a fishing buff, would like to say that it was my idea, but I didn’t know that Guy had been loving this beautiful sport for some time. It was thanks to Réjean Houle and the other Elders that I learned about it and I hope that Guy will take full advantage of this gift.
Last night, a chapter in the history of the Canadiens came to an end. We thought Lafleur’s career was over when he retired in 1984 and the Canadiens celebrated him soon after, but he surprised us all when he returned to the game four years later.
I want to make it clear right away that it is true that Guy and I both ended our association in a similar way. But whatever some people think, we were not driven out by the Canadiens. Both of us walked out because we had a disagreement with the team. Guy had his reasons, just like me in the early 60s, but the ultimate decision was made by us, not the team.
That said, I remember that in his last years with the Canadiens, I told Guy not to do everything alone on the ice, to trust his teammates more. If he had wanted to keep his position and allow himself to be helped by his teammates, he would not have had to retire so young and he would have eclipsed many records in the National League.
Guy has always been in good shape. During his four-year absence, he continued to play with the Elders. If he was able to return to the game at his age after four years of absence, it was because he had kept himself in shape.
I will always remember Guy Lafleur as a player who hardly ever played a bad game in his career. He always gave 100% of himself, even with the Elders, and I’m in a good position to talk about that since I refereed a few of those games.
At the end of his career with the Canadiens, he was still providing maximum effort, but he was not getting help from his teammates. When he came back to play with the Rangers, he was playing good hockey, but he wasn’t the same player anymore. He still picked up quite a few points for a guy who had been away for so long and didn’t play as often anymore, but that’s because he finally realized that it was better to hold his position than to throw left and right on the rink.
I’ve always liked Guy Lafleur’s game, his skating, his sense of the spectacular and his determination. The only thing I blamed him for since his return was not wearing a protective helmet. Me, I had tried in time, but since no one wore one… But if I had returned to the game in 1988, after four years of absence and at a more advanced age, knowing that my reflexes were no longer the same and I was much more likely to be injured, I would surely have worn a helmet.
I don’t know Guy Lafleur personally, although I’ve met him a few times over the years. So I can hardly tell you about the man.
But I know very well that it is he who succeeded me in the hearts of hockey fans in Montreal and Quebec. And if I hadn’t known, I would have quickly realized it when I read the letters written to him by the readers of The Press.
I have never received love letters like this. I received letters, of course, but people didn’t have the same education. It was a very simple note or a request for an autograph or a souvenir photo. Guy must feel embarrassed to receive these letters… It proves that the population has changed a lot since time.
I would have liked to write Guy something like the letters he receives, but I can’t express myself like that. I still want you to know, Guy, that if I ever criticized you for having a big mouth, I was like you in the old days. The difference is that I opened the door to myself about hockey while you also talked about your private life, in your book for example, and I never agreed with that.
But this difference between the two of us is perhaps that between a few generations of Quebecers, isn’t it, Guy?
Interview by Alain de Repentigny