Lafleur remembered for 'deep humanity' at funeral for Canadiens legend

MONTREAL -- Guy Lafleur was remembered by his peers, praised by politicians and loved by the people who witnessed, or watched or heard broadcasts of, his funeral Mass held Tuesday.

The Montreal Canadiens legend died of cancer at the age of 70 on April 22.
"His impact touched three generations of Montreal Canadiens fans," Canadiens owner Geoff Molson said. "There were those who saw his sensational talent on the ice in the 1970s and '80s, and there were the children and the grandchildren of these fans who learned about Guy Lafleur from their parents and grandparents."
Thousands of fans came to pay their final respects to Lafleur while he lay in state at Bell Centre on Sunday and Monday. His funeral cortege was witnessed by more of his fans as it slowly made its way to Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, located across the street from the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, where Lafleur was selected by the Canadiens with the No. 1 pick in the 1971 NHL Draft.
Lafleur won the Stanley Cup five times during his 14 seasons with Montreal (1971-85) and became the first NHL player to have six consecutive seasons with at least 50 goals and 100 points. The Hockey Hall of Fame forward is the leading scorer in Canadiens history (1,246 points; 518 goals, 728 assists).
Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, "Today is a day to say thank you to Guy Lafleur for everything he gave us over so many years. All the wins, all the inspiration, the incredible games he played, but also his deep humanity. His contributions to the world around him was legendary and an inspiration to us all."
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Quebec Premier Francois Legault and Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante were in attendance along with the current Canadiens players and a host of Lafleur's former NHL teammates and opponents.

"He was such a good human being and he's sorely going to be missed," said Peter Mahovlich, who played with Lafleur for seven seasons (1971-78) in Montreal. "People say, 'Are you sad?' And for me, I'm happy for] the fact that I got to meet him. The people that should be sad were those that never had an opportunity to meet him, spend some time with him, because he certainly was a true human being, and a great hockey player, and a great friend, and a great linemate."
Lafleur's favorite song, "L'Essentiel," was sung by Ginette Reno after he was eulogized by Canadiens greats Yvan Cournoyer, Larry Robinson, Guy Carbonneau and Patrick Roy.
"Guy always said, 'Play every game as if it is your last one,'" Robinson said. "No one embodied that philosophy more than Guy did, and not only did he play each game to its fullest, he tried to live his life to the fullest off the ice as well."
Lafleur's sons, Martin and Mark, were pallbearers with his former teammates Steve Shutt, Guy Lapointe, Yvon Lambert and Pierre Bouchard.
"He was proud of us, even in difficult times that we went through as a family," Martin Lafleur said. "He was behind us and he assured us through his actions and his words. He always wanted the best for my mom, for my brother and for myself."
Shutt, Lafleur's longtime linemate, said he was honored to serve as a pallbearer.
"Well, I guess I got another assist," Shutt said. "You know we've been attached to the hip for so many years that we could just think what each other was doing. So that's why it's pretty tough for me. And I saw him three weeks ago too and he was on a real high. He was really, really sharp. And I was with my son at the time and when we walked out, we said, 'We know what's happening, but it's not going to be for a while.' But that wasn't to be.
"It was great that we saw the last time when he was on a high, and that was a great last visit."
Kevin Lowe's cousins played against Lafleur growing up. The six-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman from Lachute, Quebec, remembered the impression Lafleur made on Wayne Gretzky after the two played on the same line at the 1981 Canada Cup.
"Wayne was a second-year pro and he was just astonished at how welcoming Guy was, how much fun he was," said Lowe, Gretzky's teammate with the Edmonton Oilers. "Like they just bonded as people and I really think that that helped mold Wayne into the person he became in terms of being a great leader."
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Darryl Sittler and Lanny McDonald got to feel Lafleur's warm greeting when they joined him as teammates for Canada at the 1976 Canada Cup.
"To love the game the way he did it rubs off on everyone around him, and it was an honor to play with him," McDonald said.
Sittler got to feel the roar of the Montreal Forum crowd often reserved for Lafleur when he scored the overtime goal that gave Canada the tournament championship.
"Team Canada '76, training camp was here, the big games were here, and we knew how much Guy meant to everybody, not only to Montreal Canadiens fans but hockey fans across Canada," Sittler said. "He was such a joy to play with. He had a great sense of humor, a competitive guy, and to me the '76 team was one of the greatest teams Canada put together."
Joe Sakic had Lafleur as a roommate early in his NHL career with the Quebec Nordiques. He was amazed at how much time Lafleur made for his fans, staying hours after games to sign autographs and have his photo taken with them.
"He made everybody realize how you're supposed to do it, how you're supposed to treat everybody, and he gave everybody an opportunity to see him," said Sakic, now the Colorado Avalanche general manager. "So you realize what a special person he is."