Pre-Draft Highlights

Served as Quebec (QMJHL) team captain in 1969-70 and 1970-71 seasons. ... Led QMJHL and set league record (since broken) with 103 goals for Quebec in 1969-70. ... Led QMJHL playoffs in goals (25) and points (43) with Quebec in 1970. ... Named to QMJHL All-Star First Team in 1969-70. ... Won Memorial Cup with Quebec in 1971. ... Led QMJHL and set league record (since broken) with 130 goals for Quebec in 1970-71. ... Led QMJHL playoffs in goals (22), assists (21), and points (43) with Quebec in 1971. ... Won QMJHL Jean Beliveau Trophy (points leader) with Quebec in 1970-71 (209 points). ... Set QMJHL single-season record (since broken) with 209 points for Quebec in 1970-71. ... Named to QMJHL All-Star First Team with Quebec in 1970-71. ... Left Quebec with major-junior and QMJHL records (since broken) for career goals (233). ... Holds Canadian overall junior (combined Jr. A and major-junior) and Quebec overall junior (Jr. A/QMJHL) records for career goals (314).

Career Vitals

Career NHL Statistics

Teams: Montreal, N.Y. Rangers, Quebec
Years: 1971-1991. Playoffs: 1972-1989

NHL Awards and Honors

Team Awards and Honors

Milestones

Team Records

Transaction History

Sept. 26, 1988 -- Signed with N.Y. Rangers as an unrestricted free agent. July 14, 1989 -- Signed with Quebec as a restricted free agent (N.Y. Rangers received 1990 fifth-round pick, Sergei Zubov, as compensation). May 30, 1991 -- Claimed by Minnesota from Quebec in NHL Expansion Draft. The move was made because Lafleur was the only player still under contract who was available from the Quebec roster. The NHL would not permit Minnesota to draft restricted free agent Alan Haworth off the Quebec roster because he was unsigned, and the North Stars had already used up their exemption to draft one unsigned player. Minnesota had no choice but to take Lafleur. May 31, 1991 -- Traded by Minnesota to Quebec in exchange for rights to Alan Haworth. 

Life Outside the NHL

Full Name: Guy Damien Lafleur
Nicknames: "The Flower", "Flower", "Le Demon Blond"

Career Beyond Hockey: Played a lot of Oldtimers' charity hockey between his NHL stints in the mid-1980s,which enabled him to stay in shape for his eventual NHL comeback. He also owned a small Quebec-based communications business in addition to his management role with Longueuil (QMJHL). ... Learned to fly a helicopter after his second retirement and started a company that transports people from the Montreal airport to various destinations in the city via helicopter. He also went into the restaurant business and continued to draw on his iconic status in Quebec to endorse numerous products, including beer and Viagra.

The Nearly Fatal Car Accident

Lafleur knew he was very lucky to survive an automobile accident in the early morning hours of March 24, 1981, when he fell asleep at the wheel of his car. He was headed back to his West Island home after a night of partying in Montreal, when he dozed off, lost control of the car, and crashed into a fence and metal post. The post, which was attached to a metal street sign, came right through the windshield of his car -- literally impaling the vehicle. It even passed through the steering wheel, but it only grazed the right side of Lafleur's head, slicing off part of his right ear. The injury was easily fixed with plastic surgery that morning, but had Lafleur been seated just an inch to his right, the post might well have smashed into his skull and killed him. Lafleur spent the next two days in the hospital and said he felt this scare had happened for a reason, reminding him of the dangers of living a wild, off-ice life.

Career Highlights

Also played center during his NHL career. ... Scored first NHL goal in Montreal's Oct. 23, 1971, game at Los Angeles against Kings goaltender Gary Edwards. ... Registered his first NHL hat trick in Montreal's Nov. 12, 1971, game vs. Minnesota. ... Set Montreal record (since broken) for points by a rookie with 64 in 1971-72. ... Became first Montreal Canadiens player to record 100 points in a season when he scored during team's March 7, 1975, game vs. Washington. ... Became the third player in Montreal Canadiens history to score 50 goals in a season when he scored No. 50 during Canadiens' March 29, 1975, game vs. Kansas City. ... Scored hat trick in Montreal's May 1, 1975, playoff game vs. Buffalo. ... Scored two game-winning goals for Montreal during the 1976 Stanley Cup Finals, including the series-winner at 14:18 of the third period on May 16, 1976, at Philadelphia, as Montreal completed Finals sweep. . ... Scored hat trick in Montreal's April 11, 1977, playoff game vs. St. Louis. ... Forced overtime in Game 7 of the 1979 Stanley Cup semifinal-round series on May 10, 1979, vs. Boston when he scored on a power play at 18:46 of the third period to tie the game at 4-4. The goal was also the 50th of his playoff career, making him the 11th player in NHL history to score 50 goals in the postseason. Montreal went on to win the game and its fourth straight Stanley Cup championship. ... Became youngest player in NHL history to reach 400 goals (record since broken) when he scored No. 400 on March 14, 1980 at age 28. ... Became first player in NHL history to record six consecutive 50-goal seasons when he scored No. 50 of the 1979-80 season for Montreal on April 2, 1980, at Detroit. ... Became youngest player in NHL history to record 1,000 points (record since broken) when he notched No. 1,000 on March 4, 1981, at age 30. He registered No. 1,000 in his 720th NHL game, making him the fastest to reach the milestone (record since broken). ... Broke Jean Beliveau's Montreal career points record with an assist on a goal by Perry Turnbull in Montreal's Feb. 9, 1984, game vs. Vancouver. The assist was his 1,220th NHL point. ... Broke Jean Beliveau's Montreal career assists record with an assist on a goal by Alfie Turcotte during Montreal's Feb. 11, 1984, game vs. Buffalo. The assist was his 713th NHL assist. ... Scored two goals and assisted on a third in his return to Montreal with N.Y. Rangers on Feb. 4, 1989. It was his first game at the Montreal Forum in more than four years, and he was given a two-minute standing ovation before the game.... Inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 23, 1996. ... Inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame on Feb. 20, 1997.
 

Retired Sweater Number

On Feb. 16, 1985, Guy Lafleur's No. 10 went up to the rafters of the Montreal Forum, becoming the sixth player in team history -- and the first from the 1970s dynasty years -- to have his number retired. The ceremony was held prior to Montreal's home game against Buffalo, a game the Sabres would win 4-3. As he came out onto the ice, Lafleur received a standing ovation that lasted 5:22. During the ceremony, Canadiens president Ronald Corey gave Lafleur the jersey he had worn in his final NHL game. Lafleur told fans: "I'm leaving the ice, but I want everyone to know that I will never leave the sport."
 

The First Retirement

On Nov. 26, 1984, Guy Lafleur made a shocking decision to retire from hockey just 20 games into the 1984-85 season. Lafleur said he had been thinking of retiring the previous summer, but felt he had enough left to go for one more year. As it turned out, Lafleur was very unhappy with his play -- five points in 19 games to start the season -- and at age 33, he did not feel he could perform at the highest level anymore. He asked the Montreal organization if he could finish out his contract in another role, and the team agreed to let him stop playing and serve as a team ambassador. "Nobody pushed me to make this decision," Lafleur said. "I took it on my own." Lafleur said he could not stand to be on the ice if he was no longer the best he could be. At the time he retired, Lafleur had two years left on his contract, estimated at $350,000 per season. The Canadiens agreed to pay him all of the money as long as he remained faithful to the organization. In order to collect that money, Lafleur did not sign his retirement papers. When he stopped playing, Lafleur held Montreal records for career points and assists, and he was just 26 goals short of Maurice Richard's team record of 544 goals. Montreal teammates and head coach Jacques Lemaire were all supportive of Lafleur's decision, even though it caught them off guard. Lafleur continued to work with the Canadiens for the balance of the season, although he did not have an official title and much of his time was spent learning the business from other executives. During these months, his No. 10 was retired in an emotional ceremony, and he stayed very much a part of the team. He was set to begin a his first full season in a "goodwill ambassador" role before he had a major falling out with the organization and resigned on Sept. 23, 1985. Just before he resigned, Lafleur had said he did not like the $75,000 (U.S.) salary he was had been offered to work as an ambassador in 1985-86, even though he was still scheduled to earn close to an additional $400,000 (Cdn.) in guaranteed money from the final year of his playing contract. Lafleur said he asked to be paid $150,000, and Canadiens president Ronald Corey said no "office clerk" earned that kind of money. Lafleur was looking beyond the contract and said he would be insulted to work in a much lower-paying job. At the time he left Montreal, Lafleur said he felt he had quit hockey too early and could still play in the league. However, playing for another team would require him to forfeit at least some of the money that the Canadiens owed him. No other team was prepared to make a trade for Lafleur unless the Canadiens would pay a portion of his salary. Corey was upset with Lafleur for embarrassing the organization in the media and vowed not to let him work for the team any longer. It was also evident that he wasn't interested in trading Lafleur or paying part of his salary to accommodate his NHL comeback. In fact, the team knew it could never trade Lafleur because the move would alienate so many fans. After he left the Canadiens, Lafleur ran a QMJHL team for nearly three years -- a period that included his selection to the Hockey Hall of Fame. But, as he had said years earlier, Lafleur ready to retire for good and at the same time he was entering the Hall, he was thinking about giving the NHL another shot. By 1988, he had stayed out of the league long enough to qualify as an unrestricted free agent. He also had a financial incentive for coming back. The 1986 Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NHL and NHLPA would allow him to collect $250,000 on his 55th birthday if he played 100 more games. This, however, was not the reason he put in long hours over the summer training for his comeback. On Aug. 18, 1988, Lafleur began talking to the New York Rangers about a possible NHL comeback at age 37. His first choice had been to join the Los Angeles Kings, who had added Wayne Gretzky, but the Kings weren't interested. Rangers general manager Phil Esposito offered Lafleur an invitation to its training camp in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, and the guarantee of a two-year contract if he made the team out of training camp. Ironically, camp opened just three days after the Sept. 7, 1988, ceremony in which Lafleur was officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Lafleur held his own at training camp and made the Rangers' roster to complete his comeback. On Sept. 27, 1988, Lafleur signed his Rangers contract. When he returned to the ice for the Rangers' Oct. 6, 1988, season-opener at Chicago, he became the second Hall of Famer to return to action in the NHL, joining Gordie Howe.
 

An Outspoken Living Legend

It is hard to overstate what Guy Lafleur meant to hockey in the 1970s, as he truly was the best player in the game for a significat stretch of years. He was the boyhood hero of many NHL stars who grew up in 1970s, including Mario Lemieux. But Lafleur wasn't just special for his on-ice talent. He was also quite a character in an era when players tended to be much more reserved. Lafleur never held back. He always said what was on his mind, and he wasn't afraid to talk about his life off the ice. This often got him in trouble with his employers, but it endeared him to fans -- particularly fans in his native province of Quebec -- who saw him as a real, fallible person. During his playing days, he would seek out reporters to complain about his coach, but he did it in the hope of firing up the other players around him. As long as the team was winning, Lafleur wasn't complaining. He even said he did not particularly enjoy playing for legendary coach Scotty Bowman, but wouldn't change anything about the experience because it enabled him to win multiple championships. Nothing speaks to Lafleur's off-ice experience quite like his falling out -- and then mending fences -- with the Canadiens organization after he quit a front office job in 1985. Lafleur was remarkably critical of the organization before and after he left it. From that year until his final retirement in 1991, Lafleur had no relationship with the Canadiens. But in his final game in Montreal, with Quebec in March 1991, Lafleur spoke to the Habs executives about wanting to regain his relationship with the team. By the mid-1990s, Lafleur was back with what was essentially a lifetime appointment to be one of the team's ambassadors. He continues to represent the Canadiens at all kinds of events today, and he still isn't afraid to speak his mind. Following Montreal's Eastern Conference Final series loss to the Rangers in 2014, Lafleur went public with criticism of Canadiens players Max Pacioretty and Thomas Vanek, saying the two players "fade when there is adversity" and suggesting they be traded. Although his comments caused a stir, they were classic examples of how Lafleur's desire to win always overwhelmed any desire to be tactful or politically correct.

International Tournaments

Non-Playing Career

MANAGEMENT CAREER
Worked for Montreal public relations and marketing department as a "goodwill ambassador" from his first retirement on Nov. 26, 1984 until Sept. 23, 1985. .... Named Named Longueuil (QMJHL) president on Jan. 10, 1986, by group of former NHL players who rescued team from bankruptcy and remained in that position until team was sold after 1986-87 season. During this time, Longueuil won the 1987 QMJHL championship. ... Named Quebec director of corporate and community affairs prior to 1991-92 season and remained in that position through 1992-93 season. ... Named Montreal "special ambassador" prior to 1996-97 season and currently holds this position.

Significant Injuries

Missed part of 1974-75 season with broken left index finger, an injury suffered when he was slashed by Darryl Sitler during Montreal's Feb. 12, 1975, game at Toronto. He did not return until Montreal's March 7, 1975, game vs. Washington. ... Missed part of 1979-80 regular season with strained ligament in knee, an injury suffered during Montreal's Feb. 19, 1980, game at Washington. He did not return until Montreal's March 6, 1980, game vs. Edmonton. ... Missed remainder of 1980 playoffs with bruised left knee, an injury suffered when he was kneed by Pat Boutette in Montreal's April 11, 1980, playoff game at Hartford. ... Missed start of 1980-81 season with pulled right hamstring, an injury suffered during Montreal's practice on Oct. 8, 1980. He did not make his 1980-81 season debut until Montreal's Oct. 18, 1980, game vs. Vancouver. ... Missed part of 1980-81 season with tonsillitis, diagnosed on Nov. 20, 1980. He did not return until Montreal's Nov. 29, 1980, game vs. Minnesota. ... Missed part of 1980-81 season with scratched right eyeball, suffered when he was caught by Charlie Simmer's errant high stick during Montreal's Dec. 30, 1980, game vs. Los Angeles. He did not return to action until Montreal's Jan. 10, 1981, game vs. Quebec. ... Missed part of 1980-81 season with bruised right ankle, an injury suffered when he blocked a shot by Dave Pichette during Montreal's Jan. 10, 1981, game vs. Quebec. He did not return until Montreal's Jan. 24, 1981, game vs. Philadelphia. ... Missed part of 1980-81 season with charley horse, an injury suffered when he was kneed by Denis Potvin during Montreal's March 17, 1981, game at N.Y. Islanders. While he was out with the injury, he suffered facial injuries in a March 24, 1981, car accident. He did not return until Montreal's April 3, 1981, game vs. Hartford. ... Missed part of Montreal's 1981 training camp with sprained back, an injury suffered during the 1981 Canada Cup. ... Missed part of 1981-82 season with eye injury, suffered when he was struck by Mark Hardy's errant stick during Montreal's Nov. 10, 1981, game at Los Angeles. He did not return until Montreal's Nov. 19, 1981, game vs. Quebec. ... Missed part of 1981-82 season with bruised bone in left foot, an injury suffered when he was hit by teammate Gaston Gingras' shot during Montreal's March 11, 1982, game vs. Chicago. He did not return until Montreal's April 3, 1982, game vs. Buffalo. ... Missed one game of 1982-83 season with injured right eye, suffered when he was facewashed by Dale Hunter's glove during Montreal's Oct. 11, 1982, game at Quebec. ... Missed part of 1982-83 season with broken right pinky toe, an injury suffered when he collided with Steve Payne during Montreal's Nov. 9, 1982, game at Minnesota. He did not return until Montreal's Dec. 4, 1982, game vs. Boston. ... Missed part of 1988-89 season with broken bone on the outside of his left foot, an injury suffered when he was hit by a shot during N.Y. Rangers' Dec. 10, 1988, game at Boston. The injury sidelined him for the Rangers' Dec. 17, 1988, game at Montreal -- which would have been his first homecoming -- and he did not return until the Rangers' Jan. 7, 1989, game at N.Y. Islanders. ... Missed part of 1989-90 season with bruised left ankle, an injury suffered when he was hit by a shot from teammate Iiro Jarvi during Quebec's Nov. 14, 1989, game vs. Winnipeg. He did not return until Quebec's Dec. 23, 1989, game vs. Buffalo. ... Missed part of 1989-90 season with broken left cheekbone, an injury suffered when he was checked from behind into the boards by Dean Kennedy in Quebec's Jan. 30, 1990, game vs. Buffalo. Lafleur's face slammed right into the glass on the play, and Quebec coach Michel Bergeron initially said the injury might be career-ending. Lafleur did not return untli Quebec's March 24, 1990, game vs. Toronto.

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