There are many Quebecers who, upon learning of the disappearance of Guy Lafleur, have had the feeling of losing a member of their family. Someone who had been in their life almost forever.
Posted at 2:16 p.m.
Martin St-Louis is part of this group. Born in 1975, he grew up and started playing hockey when Lafleur was at the height of his career — and the NHL.
It is therefore to his “first favorite player”, to his “first hero”, that he is saying goodbye today.
Visibly moved, he spoke to members of the media just before leaving for Ottawa, where the Canadiens will face the Senators on Saturday.
His admiration for Lafleur as a child wasn’t just because the right-winger was his father’s favorite player. “He had a presence, an image,” he recalls. When he thinks back to his idol, he sees “his blond hair flying in the wind, when you saw him skating in the neutral zone at 100 miles an hour and going on the offensive”.
“He took the puck, and it’s as if he was saying: I’m going to score a goal,” continued St-Louis. He had such authority, such confidence… In the living room, at our house, when Guy rushed forward, we got up. Something exciting was about to happen. He was a superhero. »
Martin St-Louis has several eyes on the famous number 10. That of the fan, of course. But that of the man and the coach.
In 2014, when he lost his mother, the one who played at the time for the New York Rangers was blown away to see Guy Lafleur and Réjean Houle attend the funeral. “It was very touching for me, and especially for my father,” he says again.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
In 2014, Guy Lafleur and Réjean Houle attended the funeral of Martin St-Louis’ mother.
“I was able to understand what a good person he was, a good human being. There are people who impact you without having to do much. »
On the ice, Lafleur has always been known as a tireless worker. The one who arrived hours before games, who never took an evening off.
Earlier this week, the organization organized an evening so that the new members of management could meet and mingle with the club’s former players. A moment of reflection was reserved for the Blond Demon, too weak to be present. And the conversations quickly converged on his exceptional career.
“He was a pro, a guy who could get angry from time to time, who played with a lot of passion, recalls St-Louis. I like to hear that, from the elders. They said if Guy didn’t score he was going to punch, he got mad. And the next day, he arrived early with goaltender Michel Larocque and threw 200 pucks before practice. He was so talented, but it’s not just about talent. He had drive. »