“We all thought we were Guy”

Several supporters of the Canadian went to pay tribute to Guy Lafleur in front of the statue in his effigy at the Bell Center, barely a few hours after the announcement of his death. Those who confided in The Press only had positive things to say: he was a generous man, a Quebec pride, a force of nature, a hockey legend.

William Theriault
The Press

A true symbol

“I would be ready to carry his coffin if asked. Éric Forest, 45, meditated for a long time at the foot of the statue of Guy Lafleur. Already shaken since the departure of Mike Bossy last week, he was visibly shaken. “He was a legend, it’s a big loss,” he said. Mr. Forest said he had the chance to chat with the former star on the Avenue des Canadiens during the Habs’ inaugural game in 2014. “I will remember his charisma. He was a real person. »

“Bigger than his sport”

For Carol Tremblay, 64, “Guy was bigger than his sport”. The supporter was well aware that his state of health was no longer very good, but still refuses to believe that he is gone. In his youth, in Amqui in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, he remembers that all the boys went to the outdoor skating rink. “We all thought we were Guy,” he said with a smile. Mr. Tremblay remembers shaking her hand at the Forum in the late 1970s. “I was like a child, her hand was like a force of nature! he exclaimed.

Always generous

Luc Bélanger explains that he met Guy Lafleur in May 2010, during a charity golf tournament. Lafleur had come to visit his friend nicknamed Ti-Coq, who had degenerative Lou Gehrig’s disease. “He was his idol,” he smiled. Born in Gatineau, Outaouais, Mr. Bélanger wore number 10 when he played minor hockey. “I imagine he was in a lot of pain, so he must be delivered now, he thinks. I was coming back from a trip, but it was still important for me to make a stop here today. »

Iconic Quebecer

Martin Lavoie is from a small village in Saguenay. “When we were young, the Canadiens played late at night. We were already in bed, but we got up quietly to open the basement door and listen to the game, he says. We always heard the same names! Maurice Richard, Jean Béliveau, Guy Lafleur…” Mr. Lavoie decided to wear his CH cap to mark the departure of the Blond Demon. “He was playing with his heart. One of our heroes left today,” he said sadly.

State funeral

Guy Dubé’s eyes were red with emotion, near the statue of Guy Lafleur. “When we were young, that’s all we had, our hockey games,” he says. According to the 60-year-old man, the hockey legend deserves his national funeral, like Maurice Richard in 2000 and Jean Béliveau in 2014. The Legault government has also confirmed that this would be the case, in the afternoon. “I had my season tickets when I was a kid. At that age, you do not yet realize that he will become special, he confides. Guy means a lot to me, he gave so much in his life! »