Gallagher: Thankful for precious moments with Lafleur

BROSSARD -- Brendan Gallagher's favorite memory of Guy Lafleur as a player isn't surprising, but his reasoning would surely have made the legendary Hall of Famer chuckle.

The Canadiens' alternate captain poked fun at himself on Friday while praising the sheer brilliance No. 10 showcased on the ice during his remarkable career.
"Every time I see the highlights, I see the hair. Maybe it's because I'm not exactly blessed with great hair myself," joked Gallagher, referencing Lafleur's trademark locks. "The hair flowing, he was always flying down the wing. You see all those highlight-reel videos they put together, the montages when they go from the old to the new. He had so many highlight-reel goals that always made those videos. It's a lot of memories for a lot of Habs fans."

Over the last 10 seasons, the veteran winger has enjoyed numerous interactions with the hockey icon - and he relished every single one of them.
He remembers back-and-forth chats with an inquisitive Lafleur, who was always eager to learn as much as possible about the players as people.
"He wanted to know what was going on with us. He wanted to know what the locker room was like, what the guys were doing. It wasn't so much the hockey stuff. It was away-from-the-rink stuff. He wanted to share stories and we wanted to hear stories, and he wanted to interact and know what it was like. That was always important for him. That was one of the things he always made a point to bring up and talk about," remembered Gallagher. "I look back at my conversations with him and I'm thankful I got the chance to do that. Not a lot of people get the chance to be in the presence of greatness like he was. We're very fortunate that he was a part of our lives."

Lafleur's humanity genuinely resonated with the gritty forward.
He knows there's so much more to the Thurso, QC native's legacy than his five Stanley Cup Championships, his franchise-best 728 assists and 1,246 points in regular-season play, and his 518 goals with Montreal, second only to Maurice Richard's 544.
"He understood he accomplished what he accomplished on the ice. You look at the numbers, it's unbelievable. But, when you can mention someone and that's not even the first thing that comes to mind when you want to talk about his character and what he meant for the community, I think that's probably what he and his family will be most proud of, because it means a lot," praised Gallagher. "He had an impact on a lot of people's lives. He wanted to reach out, he wanted to help people. He was always someone who wouldn't be shy. He would come talk to you. He wanted to know, he wanted to know information, he wanted to know what was going on, and to have that impact. It was something I think he enjoyed doing and I'm just thankful I got that opportunity."

The 29-year-old also briefly reminisced about his drive to the Bell Sports Complex with Jake Evans after learning of Lafleur's passing.
Evans apparently inquired about Gallagher's previous experience in the city when Hall of Famer Jean Béliveau died in December 2014.
Gallagher then put the significance of Lafleur's death in context from an organizational standpoint.
"There are certain names that when you talk about the Montreal Canadiens, it's Richard, it's Béliveau, and it's Guy Lafleur. There's obviously a lot more, but these are the names why we're really proud to wear the Montreal Canadiens logo and to wear that CH, because of all the history and tradition that comes with it," he explained. "These are the guys that built that tradition. They mean a lot to the organization and a lot to all the fans. It's a tough day for everyone in the organization and the Montreal Canadiens community."