‘Thank you to Guy’: Funeral for Lafleur, a Montreal Canadiens legend, taking place
Hockey greats, dignitaries and fans arrived for the national funeral for Guy Lafleur, a Montreal Canadiens legend, on Tuesday morning.
Serge Savard, Lafleur’s friend and former teammate, said that even though the hockey icon was the league’s top scorer and best player, Lafleur always put the team first.
“He was a team guy. He never felt bigger than the team,” Savard said outside the church. “He was a great, humble superstar.”
A crowd, with no shortage of Lafleur’s emblematic #10 jerseys, gathered outside the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral. They lined up along René-Lévesque Boulevard in the city’s downtown core, where the ceremony began at 11 a.m.
They chanted “Guy, Guy, Guy” as the procession made its way from the Bell Centre, with a line of cars flanked by police officers. Lafleur’s casket, draped in a Canadiens flag, was carefully brought up the steps for a last goodbye.
The five-time Stanley Cup winner died from lung cancer on April 22 at the age of 70. Though he was known for his skills, Canadiens owner Geoff Molson described Lafleur as someone who had “time for anyone and everyone.”
“He just spoke from his heart and his heart was passionate,” Molson said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among those on the guest list for the service, and spoke to reporters prior to the ceremony.
“Today is a day to say thank you to Guy Lafleur for everything he gave us over so many years,” Trudeau said. “All the wins, all the inspiration, the incredible games he played but also his deep humanity.”
The NHL Hall of Famer and fan favourite was a native of Thurso, Que. Aside from playing with the Habs, Lafleur also graced the ice with the New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques.
“We’re all proud today,” Quebec Premier François Legault said. “He was the best player and we were so proud that a guy coming from here was the best hockey player in the world.”
The final farewell comes after Lafleur, also known as “The Flower,” was lying in state at the Bell Centre on Sunday and Monday. Admirers in the thousands showed up to the team’s arena to pay their respects.
A makeshift shrine in front of the late hockey great’s statue features flowers, gloves and messages of sympathy.
The Canadiens hockey club said in a statement the Lafleur family accepted a national funeral as a way to share its grief with the community out of respect for the public who have supported Lafleur over the years.
According to the Quebec government, a national funeral is “reserved for people who, for example, have made an impact on political life, as decided by the government.”
The ceremony for Lafleur will be livestreamed on the Global News website and streaming channels.
— with files from Global News’ Tim Sargeant, Elizabeth Zogalis and The Canadian Press
by Global News
