Molson on Lafleur: 'He did things the right way all the time'

MONTREAL -- Owner, President and CEO of the Montreal Canadiens Geoff Molson addressed the media at the Bell Centre following the news of the passing of Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur.

A visibly emotional Molson shared his thoughts about "The Flower", including No. 10's numerous contributions to the Canadiens organization, and the indelible mark he has left on Quebecers and fans worldwide.

Molson on Lafleur's aura:
I was lucky. I got to see him from the very beginning. I was born in 1970 and I was able to watch him as a young kid. And in those days, you look up at this big hockey player in admiration and you can't believe how privileged you are to be able to speak to the best hockey player in the world at that time. Three generations of our family have been with Guy, so we really have spent many years with him. I got to know him best. After I became the owner of the Montreal Canadiens in 2009, I signed him. One of the first things I did was to sign him on a 10-year contract to represent us as an ambassador. And that was really important because he's such an icon in this province, across the country. And that's when I really got to know Guy, after 2009. Because we got to spend so much time together at events or just talking that I could tell funny stories about that. But he's a wonderful person, he has an amazing sense of humor and he's dedicated to everything he does, all the time.
Molson on how the organization plans on honoring Lafleur:
When you know there's a possibility that this day is going to come, he's such an important person in this in this province and country, that you have to start thinking about that early. And today, we're not prepared or ready to share everything. But in the Montreal Canadiens way, I can assure everyone that it's going to be a great celebration of a great person.
Molson on what Guy Lafleur represents to the organization:
I mean, at the end of the day, he's a winner. He won at every part of his life. But on the ice, he's somebody who was completely dedicated to being the best he possibly can be every single day. And if our players, our current players, think that way, I think we're in for a nice ride with our players. He's somebody who always got to the rink early, was always prepared. And that actually was the case even when he was an ambassador for us. We joke about it, but often, we'd have a time that we'd asked him to be at the Bell Centre to do something within the community. And he would arrive an hour and a half early for that as well. And we didn't know what to do with him. He would arrive and sit in either my office or Genevieve [Paquette's] office, and just wait for an hour and a half until we were ready for him. It was very special. So, he was dedicated. He did things the right way all the time. And I think that those messages can be relayed to our current players.
Molson on Lafleur's impact on the fans off the ice:
I gave this a lot of thought today, and there are a lot of examples. But if I had to pick one, it's that he was a person who was always there for everyone. When someone approached him for an autograph, to talk to him, to tell him a story...and it didn't matter who, I saw it hundreds of times with my own eyes, he took the time for people, and he never left until the interaction was done.

Molson on the importance of pillars like Lafleur in Quebec society:
I think I could spend a long time trying to explain that. But if I try to explain it in this in this context, I think the Montreal Canadiens are an integral part of the community in Quebec. And they always have been, and no matter which corner of the province you're from, the feeling is that Quebecer has own this team and it belongs to them. And Guy Lafleur represented that perfectly, because no matter where he went, he represented the people who loved this team, and I think it was so appreciated that he was that way. And obviously there were others that were that way. But today we're talking about Guy, and he was one of the best. He's a man that also was very direct in his responses to questions, and I think Quebecers appreciate that as well. I don't think Guy Lafleur had any clichés in his head. I think that he was direct. And I think our fans love that in him. But at the end of the day, I think that the Montreal Canadiens are a team of our community. And you don't see that in very many cities across North America.
Molson on his best memory of Lafleur:
I was young but for me, my greatest memory was listening to the crowd whenever he touched the puck, when he started skating on the right wing. The crowd knew something was going to happen. It was electrifying. He was a flamboyant character on the ice, and I later learned it was the same off the ice. But as a young child, my best memories were whenever the crowd started making noise as he touched the puck.
Molson on a birthday celebration he organized for Lafleur last year:
We wanted to celebrate his birthday. We knew he wasn't doing very well. It was an extraordinary lunch, and he was very happy to see his former teammates, some of which have famous names, at his side to celebrate his birthday. It was a big success and a great memory for everyone.
Molson on Lafleur offering his services to Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton:
We visited him last week. It was a great visit and he was in a very good mood. He didn't lose his sense of humour, either. But I have to say, half the time we discussed the team.
There are several [stories] that I can tell, but this is the one that comes to mind first. When I hired Jeff [Gorton] and Kent [Hughes], he wrote them to off his services, to offer the Guy Lafleur perspective on the Montreal Canadiens. They were touched, obviously, but it was someone who wanted to give his all to the Canadiens right until the end, and that says a lot about the person he is.
Molson on strengthening the relationship between alumni and current players:
It's very important. Starting with new leadership, including Jeff [Gorton], Kent [Hughes], Martin [St-Louis] and Chantal [Machabée], it's an opportunity to re-think how we'll accomplish our objectives. Wednesday night was an important gesture for the time-being... but there will be more, and we'll try to bring Canadiens alumni closer to the team, since they have a wealth of experience to share. Yvan Cournoyer told me a story: He crossed paths with Cole Caufield on Tuesday night. And he then gave me his opinion on Caufield. I think Cole really appreciated what Cournoyer had to say. The more we can help our young players excel in this market, which is demanding, the better it'll be for them.