Former teammates of Guy Lafleur were at the Bell Center Sunday for a ceremony held in honor of the hockey legend.
In attendance were Pierre Bouchard, Yvan Cournoyer, Lucien Deblois, Gilbert Delorme, Normand Dupont, Bob Gainey, Rick Green, Réjean Houle, Yvon Lambert, Guy Lapointe, Pierre Mondou, Chris Nilan and Richard Sévigny.
The ceremony took place ahead of the Canadian’s match against the Boston Bruins.
Habs players warmed up without helmets on, in tribute to Lafleur’s iconic blonde hair.
Spectators gave the hockey legend a standing ovation, with chants of “Guy! Guy! Guy!” and “Go Habs Go!” ringing through the arena for nearly ten minutes, followed by a moment of silence.
Lafleur, the all-time points leader for the Habs, passed away last week at age 70 from lung cancer.
“It wasn’t a surprise, but there’s always a shock, you’re stunned a bit to get the actual news,” former teammate Bob Gainey said in a press conference earlier Sunday evening.
“He was our best player, most talented player.”
Chris Nilan said Lafleur welcomed him with open arms when he first signed on to the Canadiens in the late 1970s.
Some superstars put themselves on a pedestal, said Nilan, but “not Guy.”
Yvan Cournoyer described Lafleur as being a teammate, friend and member of the family.
“I’ve been thinking about Guy everyday.”
“You don’t forget a guy like that,” he added. “On the ice and [off] the ice.”
With files from The Canadian Press.