It’s been 37 years since Guy Lafleur last played for the Montreal Canadiens, but it was his name that fans chanted before the team took to the ice Sunday at the Bell Centre.
For just over 10 minutes, Habs fans gave Lafleur, who died Friday at age 70, a standing ovation, as cheers of “Guy, Guy, Guy!” mixed with chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole!” and “Go Habs Go!”
Twice, the game’s announcer began to say something, only to let fans keep cheering. Finally, he asked the fans to be quiet for a moment of silence in honour of Lafleur.
It was a mixture of sombre and celebration as the Canadiens marked the passing of one of their greats before a game against the visiting Boston Bruins.
WATCH l Canadiens honour Lafleur’s legacy in ceremony:
Canadiens honour Guy Lafleur’s legacy in pregame ceremony
Montreal Canadiens icon Guy Lafleur, who died on Friday, is honoured with a special pregame ceremony at the Bell Centre. 17:14
Images of Lafleur’s youth were projected on the ice, before videos of his time with the Habs were shown on the arena’s screen to the tune of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.”
While there was video of Lafleur’s greatest goals, with a crucial goal against Boston in a Stanley Cup final drawing the biggest cheer.
But there were also images of “The Flower” lifting up the Stanley Cup — the Hall of Famer won five with Montreal — and participating in the victory parades that were a regular event in Montreal during his time with the team.
“We must never forget playing hockey isn’t a job, it’s a game, we have to have fun,” Lafleur said in one of the clips. “And win as much as possible.”
On the boards, the usual ads were replaced by a simple tribute to Lafleur: his name, his number, his signature and the years of life — 1951 to 2022.
Erik Haula scored twice as the Bruins escaped with a 5-3 win over the Canadiens on the emotional night.
Patrice Bergeron also picked up two goals, including the empty-netter, and one assist. Charlie McAvoy added the eventual…
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