1680313270 Not everything had been said about the blond demon

Not everything had been said about the blond demon

In particular, Wayne Gretzky, Joe Sakic and Vladislav Tretiak come together in a new book that reveals a slew of confessions and anecdotes about Quebec native Guy Lafleur.

Pierre Gince and Steven Finn, co-authors of the book Guy Lafleur et nous, are excited for next week’s upcoming release. While everything seemed to have already been said about “Flower”, the two men collected statements from 50 people who knew the athlete, but also the person. Through all these looks, the reader inevitably discovers different facets of the Blond Demon.

“What Guy Lafleur leaves behind as a legacy is just as important as what he accomplished on and off the ice,” Gince summarizes the book published by Éditions de l’Homme. He was a perfect athlete who was outwardly imperfect, and he embraced it. Quebecers, all imperfect, recognized themselves in him. »

Man’s imperfection is also part of what caused Lafleur to die of lung cancer on April 22, 2022. He was 70 years old.

“I said to Guy, ‘Stop smoking or you’ll end up like your father,'” remarks his mother, Pierrette Chartrand-Lafleur, whose testimony is, of course, published in the opening pages of the book.

chills

Finn, who was Lafleur’s teammate at the Quebec Nordiques from 1989 to 1991, assures that this meeting with the deceased’s mother in Thurso will have been of particular importance to him.

“Being at the Lafleur family home where Guy learned to skate [construite par son père, Réjean] It was incredible outside, he confided to me. I had chills throughout the interview. It was a magical moment. »

About Réjean Lafleur, Guy’s father, also died of lung cancer in August 1992 at the age of 63.

The love of his sons

Gince also has fond memories of interviewing Guy’s two sons, Martin and Mark.

Not everything had been said about the blond demon

Photo courtesy of Les Éditions de l’Homme

“His sons each have their own chapter and talk about their father,” he revealed. They are two very beautiful relationships, but different. In particular, Mark’s chapter summarizes a great love story between a father and his son, then between a son and his father. Coincidentally, Mark was the one who was there before Guy breathed his last. »

“I thanked him I don’t know how many times for loving me so much,” says Mark in the book, which summarizes a touching scene that occurred just hours before death.

“I’ve had ups and downs, that’s well known,” summarizes the youngest of his sons, who had trouble with the law. The media showed my father next to me in the worst moments. […] He could easily have let me down. As our family welcomed the public at the Bell Center for the Legekapelle and then at the Cathedral for the funeral, several of my father’s friends shared his words with me. He told them that despite my mistakes, he would always be there for me. He kept his promise to the end of his life, which still means a lot to me. »

Tretiak, Bettman and Gretzky

Of course, in addition to his family members, Guy Lafleur and Us also includes several testimonials from personalities in the hockey world, including Tretiak, Gary Bettman, Scotty Bowman and Yvan Cournoyer, to name a few.

Gretzky is also the one who signs the foreword (see other text below)

Guy Lafleur et nous is the fourth in a collection that already includes works by Robert Bourassa, René Levesque and Félix Leclerc. It will be available in bookstores from Wednesday April 5th, while a major launch is planned for April 11th.

On April 22nd it will be a year since Guy Lafleur passed away. Remember that this summer in Trois-Rivières, Cirque du Soleil is presenting the creation “Guy! Guy! Guy! to pay tribute to the legendary hockey player.

Five tasty anecdotes Topic number 10

GEN photos of the authors of a book about Guy Lafleur, Steven Finn and Pierre Gince.

Released next week, the book Guy Lafleur and us full of unusual facts. In particular, it is recalled that on the day of a game in the 1976 playoffs, the police arrived at Guy Lafleur’s home in Verchères. Authorities inform him that criminal gamers plan to kidnap him along with security guard Ken Dryden. Canadian number 10 wore a transmitter on his off-ice excursions for a few weeks. Here are five tasty anecdotes and confessions from the book, among many others.

The time Guy Lafleur scared Paul Houde…

GEN photos of the authors of a book about Guy Lafleur, Steven Finn and Pierre Gince.

“During the filming of Les Boys 4, Guy fired a shot – on purpose – about 18 inches from the head of our goalie, Paul Houde, who played the character of Fern. I thought Paul was going to cry under his mask, he was so scared… Even though Guy was in his early fifties he still had a very powerful shot which he mastered perfectly. We all laughed a lot, Guy the First! »

– Marc Messier, actor

Chris Nilan’s first autographs

GEN photos of the authors of a book about Guy Lafleur, Steven Finn and Pierre Gince.

“We arrive at Crescent Street on Thursday. Everyone looked at Guy and the most beautiful women in Montreal came to visit him for an autograph or a photo! But he divided the attention by introducing me as his new teammate and getting me to sign the first autographs of my life. »

– Chris Nilan

Smoking prohibited in the hotel room

GEN photos of the authors of a book about Guy Lafleur, Steven Finn and Pierre Gince.

“The first day we were roommates, he said to me, ‘Joe, I promise I won’t smoke in the hotel room.’ It calmed me down. […] What he didn’t tell me was that “in the bedroom” didn’t include the bathroom. Whenever I opened the door to enter, there was always a puff of smoke. And he laughed a lot, very loud! »

– Joe Sakic

Sympathy for Stéphane Richer

GEN photos of the authors of a book about Guy Lafleur, Steven Finn and Pierre Gince.

“I’ve been waiting for him to go to say it: Guy has been there for me through the difficult times I’ve been through. If anyone could understand the pressure on the shoulders of a Quebecer playing with the Canadiens, it was Flower. He, too, had known the inflated expectations of management and the public. He listened to me much more than he spoke. It helped me alot. »

– Stephane Richer

An unforgettable slap on the buttocks

GEN photos of the authors of a book about Guy Lafleur, Steven Finn and Pierre Gince.

Photo courtesy of the Lafleur family

“I was always irritated! When my father played with the Nordiques [en 1989], our family lived for a time at Château Bonne Entente in Quebec. I was five years old. One day I took my father’s lighter and lit a rug! […] My father put out the fire, then I got a slap on the butt… That slap with my father’s big hands, I still remember that, more than 30 years later! »

– Mark Lafleur, son of Guy

“Guy took me under his wing” – Wayne Gretzky

Marcel Dionne, Denis Potvin, Guy Lafleur and Wayne Gretzky seemed ready to discuss it with Russia in Canada's uniform.

Archive photo

Marcel Dionne, Denis Potvin, Guy Lafleur and Wayne Gretzky seemed ready to discuss it with Russia in Canada’s uniform.

By signing the foreword to the book Guy Lafleur and usWayne Gretzky transports the reader to Madison Square Garden in New York on February 27, 1989. Back then, he wore the colors of the Los Angeles Kings while Lafleur played for the Rangers after returning from early retirement.

“I was excited to see him back on the ice,” says Gretzky. It was nice to see him make peace with hockey. »

That night, Lafleur scored a hat-trick in Rangers’ 6-4 win.

“After his third goal, the New York fans were on their feet and screaming with joy,” wrote Gretzky. When it came time to position myself for the faceoff, I took my time getting to the circle. And when I did that, I asked the ref to also take his time before dropping the puck so Guy and his fans could enjoy the moment. »

The desire to win

Gretzky had shown great class, a class he had partially learned eight years earlier at the Canada Cup in 1981 alongside Lafleur. Despite a crushing defeat by the USSR in the final, the famous number 99 had shared unforgettable moments with his childhood idol by the age of 19.

“Guy welcomed me to this team and I’m proud to say he took me under his wing,” says Gretzky.

“This tournament made a lasting impression on me,” said the man who remains the top scorer in NHL history. “By crossing paths with the best in the world of hockey, like Guy, I wanted to win the Stanley Cup year after year. »

Gretzky ended his career with four Stanley Cup conquests, which he celebrated in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988 with the Edmonton Oilers. So Lafleur will have won another one. Special thanks to the 1993 edition of the Montreal Canadiens, who beat Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in the finals!

One last discussion

Later in the book, it is Chris Chelios who witnesses a final moment between Gretzky and the legendary Quebec hockey player shortly before Flower’s death.

“Wayne Gretzky and I FaceTimed Flower about two weeks before she died,” Chelios said. We were playing golf in Florida and Wayne wanted to talk to her. He said to me: “Call Flower” […] They remembered the 1981 Canada Cup and had a blast! Guy loved talking to Gretz, they didn’t want to hang up. »

Caufield has Flower in it

Cole Caufield looks like Guy Lafleur in the eyes of his former coach Tony Granato.

Archive photo, Martin Chevalier

Cole Caufield looks like Guy Lafleur in the eyes of his former coach Tony Granato.

In the belief of Tony Granato, Guy Lafleur’s ex-Teammate at the New York Rangers, there is a certain parallel between Flower and Cole Caufield.

“I see the power of being a Guy Lafleur star in one of the players I coached at the University of Wisconsin Badgers: Cole Caufield,” says Granato in the forthcoming book about the legendary Montreal Canadiens No. 10 .

“I can’t exactly predict his career with the Canadiens and the NHL, but I’m sure this player has Flower in him,” he says of Caufield. He’s a born counterattacker who has the same passion for his sport, the same joy of playing. You can see that in his smile! Cole has the same respect for his teammates and it’s mutual. »

A gesture to help the team

So much for Caufield! Because Granato pays homage to Lafleur primarily through his testimony. The 58-year-old American-turned-coach played with the Blond Demon for the New York Rangers in 1988/89 when he was a rookie under Michel Bergeron. Granato and Lafleur were also roommates.

“I just found out recently that Flower had asked Bergie to share a room across the street,” says Granato. He wanted to introduce me to the inner workings of the National Hockey League. It really touched me. This request is typically Flower: a discreet gesture intended to add value to a teammate. And the team for the same reason. »

Roommates with Joe Sakic

Among Lafleur’s other former teammates, Joe Sakic provides a similar testimony regarding his early years in the NHL with the Nordiques of Quebec.

“We were roommates for a good part of the two years that we were teammates,” says Sakic. I was intimidated for a minute. He could calm me down. I was impressed by his modesty. »

Steven Finn fulfills his father’s dream

Steven Finn didn't hesitate when it came time to say yes to Pierre Gince for this book project about Guy Lafleur.

Photo agency QMI, Mario Beauregard

Steven Finn didn’t hesitate when it came time to say yes to Pierre Gince for this book project about Guy Lafleur.

Former Nordiques player Quebecer Steven Finn never dreamed of one day publishing a book. However, when he picked up the first copy of the new book Guy Lafleur and we The former defender says he got a good dose of adrenaline.

“I assumed it was going to be a special moment, but I freaked out,” he said.

The book’s co-author, Pierre Gince, had the talent of asking Finn to work with him on this project. In addition to his contacts in the ice hockey world, the ex-player shows great emotional intelligence. She is also no stranger to the death of her son Cédric from cancer in 2017 when he was only 27 years old.

“It seems I’ve been more connected to my intuition since he left so young,” says Steven—Finn, noting that his son’s death has undoubtedly prompted him to embark on such an adventure in the publishing world to let in “In our minds, we always think we’ll have time… When I was offered the project, I took the weekend to think about it and called back on Monday to confirm I had embarked.” »

Oddly enough, a book project is more of a dream of his late father Normand.

“It’s a bit weird because it was my father’s dream, who worked in the media world as a desk manager at TVA,” adds Steven. He dreamed of writing a book but it was never published. We still have his manuscript…”

humility and generosity

In the case of Guy Lafleur et nous, Finn was a bit hesitant because he didn’t want to disturb his former teammates.

“It’s a heart project, the boys were so generous because they all loved Flower so much,” summed up the former Nordiques, himself a former teammate of Lafleur. Guy was a symbol of humility and generosity. It’s unanimous among everyone who’s played with him. »

Finn has notably garnered collaborations with another former teammate well known to the Los Angeles Kings: Wayne Gretzky.

“Wayne was so generous and I didn’t have to fight with him to get him to accept,” Finn said, recalling Gretzky signing the foreword to the book. He immediately told me how much he loved Guy Lafleur, he had two idols in his life: Gordie Howe and Flower. »

photos and autographs

Since he asked that question to most of the book’s 50 contributors, the pendulum has swung back: Closing anecdote about Guy Lafleur, Mr. Finn?

“When he arrived in Quebec [en 1989]”Guy was already a Hall of Famer,” he replied. For us other players, he was a monument, a superstar. We were a bit of a groupie. Guy became a teammate but we took pictures with him and asked for autographs. It made him uncomfortable, but he was so humble, so generous, that he gave himself to the game.

Do you have any information about this story that you would like to share with us?

Do you have a scoop that might be of interest to our readers?

Write to us or call us directly at 1-800-63SCOOP.