Guy Lafleur
News, Sports

Hockey legend Guy Lafleur has passed away

by Lorraine Carpenter

“Montreal mourns the loss of this great man. Thanks for everything, Guy.”

UPDATED 11:08 a.m. Quebecers, Habs fans and the hockey world at large are in mourning following the death of Guy Lafleur, who has passed away at the age of 70 following a three-year battle with lung cancer.

On March 3, the Montreal Canadiens issued a statement on behalf of Lafleur’s family thanking Habs fans for their support and empathy. On April 19, the organization asked for privacy regarding Lafleur during this difficult time.

The Montreal Canadiens organization is in mourning today.

Lafleur played with the Habs from 1971 till 1985, winning the Stanley Cup with the team five times. Following three years of retirement, Lafleur was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and returned to the NHL to play with the New York Rangers and the Quebec Nordiques. He retired again in 1991.

Lafleur was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019, and though he went into remission following surgery, the cancer returned in late 2020. In October 2021, during his last public appearance when his number 4 was retired by the QMJHL’s Quebec Ramparts team, Lafleur compared his cancer battle to playing “the match of his life.”

The office of Quebec Premier François Legault has reportedly offered a state funeral to the Lafleur family. Legault is holding a press conference at 2 p.m. this afternoon.

This morning Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed their condolences.

“It is with sadness that I learned the news of the death of Guy Lafleur. Having won 5 Stanley Cups, this hockey legend was one of the best players in the history of the Canadiens and the NHL. Montreal mourns the loss of this great man. Thanks for everything, Guy.”

—Valérie Plante

Guy Lafleur, “le démon blond”

RIP Guy Lafleur

This article was originally published at 8:35 a.m. and updated most recently at 11:08 a.m.

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Posted in News, Sports

by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following 12 years at the now-defunct Montreal alt weekly the Mirror, where she worked in editorial as copy editor and music editor. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal.