Guy Lafleur in tough

[LickingG2]

12h ago

Lafleur on his health, a new initiative, and thoughts on Habs this season
TSN’s Montreal bureau reporter John Lu spoke with Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur recently about his continuing recovery from health issues, his work on the ‘Be the MVP’ initiative and his thoughts on the Canadiens this season.
From TSN
"It has been a difficult time for Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur, who has been dealing with various health issues over the past two years.
He had quadruple bypass heart surgery in September of 2019, followed by surgery a few months later to remove a lobe on one of his lungs, as well as to remove lymph nodes. In October of 2020, the Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM) announced that Lafleur experienced a recurrence of his lung cancer."

I grew up in Montreal and was Montreal fan and Guy was one of the best in his day. I know people will point to his smoking but nobody deserves this. I also smoked and had bypass surgery before I quit - so here but for the grace of God go I. Best of luck to him.



















It has been a difficult time for Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur, who has been dealing with various health issues over the past two years.
He had quadruple bypass heart surgery in September of 2019, followed by surgery a few months later to remove a lobe on one of his lungs, as well as to remove lymph nodes. In October of 2020, the Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal (CHUM) announced that Lafleur experienced a recurrence of his lung cancer.

 

[Darts]

Guy and Mike Bossy both fighting lung cancer. I wouldn't be surprised if Montreal and Quebec had the highest per capita smokers in Canada. I was really really happy when they banned smoking in the workplace.

 

[The Oracle]

The first one on the ice and the last on off it......That's how LaFleur approached each practice.

Says a lot about his passion for the game and why he was the best in his era.

I will always remember him for his mad dashes down the right wing with his hair flowing behind him and that ''connonading shot''.

But yes he's in tough here.........

 

[Valcazar]

I remember seeing a show on various goalies and the evolution of the game and they were interviewing... Cheevers, I think?
They asked him about the best shooters he faced and he said that Mike Bossy was probably the best but nothing scared him more than Lafleur in Montreal.
The moment he touched the puck, the crowd would start chanting "Guy" or just kind of hold its breath as he swept down the wing and it got into your head.

 

[downbound123]

Don Cherry said Bobby Orr was the best player he ever saw but Guy Lafleur was the most exciting.

 

[Darts]

Lafleur was actually a disappointment in his first 3 years. Then he ditched the helmet and the rest is history.

 

[oral.com]

I remember seeing a show on various goalies and the evolution of the game and they were interviewing... Cheevers, I think?
They asked him about the best shooters he faced and he said that Mike Bossy was probably the best but nothing scared him more than Lafleur in Montreal.
The moment he touched the puck, the crowd would start chanting "Guy" or just kind of hold its breath as he swept down the wing and it got into your head.

I think I saw the same interview, he talks about the Hull slapshot. When Bobby let go everyone just got out of the way, including him.

 

[poopypants]

The first one on the ice and the last on off it......That's how LaFleur approached each practice.

Says a lot about his passion for the game and why he was the best in his era.

I will always remember him for his mad dashes down the right wing with his hair flowing behind him and that ''connonading shot''.

But yes he's in tough here.........

He was also known as a heavy smoker, even between periods.

 

[tml]

I can't even imagine the amount of ass he got in Quebec in the late 70's.

 

[mburner]

There was a small window along the sidewalk that allowed you look down into the Rangers locker room at the old Garden on 8th Ave, between 50th and 49th Sts. This was the mid/late '60s: After a game my buddies and I peered through that window and I recall seeing Phil Goyette smoking. Kinda wondered how he could play and smoke. Of course, Charlie Conerly, Giants HOF QB, was the first Marlboro Man. And I have many old sports programs from 50s-early 60s (before the warning on the package came into being) with ads showing athletes promoting smoking. Some ads even touted that their brand was "doctor endorsed."

 

[maurice93]

Guy and Mike Bossy both fighting lung cancer. I wouldn't be surprised if Montreal and Quebec had the highest per capita smokers in Canada. I was really really happy when they banned smoking in the workplace.

I remember working in Quebec one year. I think it was around 1995. I was surprised they still allowed smoking in the workplace then.

 

[maurice93]

There was a small window along the sidewalk that allowed you look down into the Rangers locker room at the old Garden on 8th Ave, between 50th and 49th Sts. This was the mid/late '60s: After a game my buddies and I peered through that window and I recall seeing Phil Goyette smoking. Kinda wondered how he could play and smoke. Of course, Charlie Conerly, Giants HOF QB, was the first Marlboro Man. And I have many old sports programs from 50s-early 60s (before the warning on the package came into being) with ads showing athletes promoting smoking. Some ads even touted that their brand was "doctor endorsed."

There are pictures out there of Guy Lafleur smoking in uniform in the dressing room.

Mario apparently smoked for much of his early career.

 

[unassuming]

He was such a class act- he intentionally did not play to his full potential during the 76 Canada Cup, he knew it would be Orr's last hurrah and did not want to steal his thunder.

 

[maurice93]

He was such a class act- he intentionally did not play to his full potential during the 76 Canada Cup, he knew it would be Orr's last hurrah and did not want to steal his thunder.

That works when you are one of the greatest teams assembled in the history of hockey.

Maybe this is why Mitch Marner has struggled in the playoffs? Did not want to steal Auston’s thunder.? Now please proceed to take shots at the 2022 habs. They are well deserved. Even Guy took shots at them recently. Hopefully the end of the Bergevin era is very near.

 

[Darts]

There was a small window along the sidewalk that allowed you look down into the Rangers locker room at the old Garden on 8th Ave, between 50th and 49th Sts.

I am somewhat familiar with that area (Port Authority). When was the old Garden demolished?

Tobacco has caused the death of several athletes. Ken Boyer was one. Then he was Tony Gwynn.
"Gwynn attributed the cancer to the dipping tobacco habit that he had since playing rookie ball in Walla Walla in 1981.[256] Doctors, however, stated that studies had not linked parotid cancer with use of chewing tobacco."

 

[jalimon]

Saw him play often at old forum even tho i was around 11-12.

Then i met him at his Mike's restaurant in Berthierville. He was bartending we ended up talking my whole meal... Completely ignored my girlfriend haha He remembered all the goals i saw him scored. He is a fixture in Quebec because he was so talented yet so humble.

On another note aside from Bossy we will probably have Mario Lemieux in the same boat in a few years as he as always been a smoker.

 

[Darts]

we will probably have Mario Lemieux in the same boat in a few years as he as always been a smoker.

Mario is also a cancer survivor.

 

[mburner]

To answer your question Darts, the old Garden came down in 1968, after the Rangers vs. Red Wings played the last sporting event in mid-February of that year. I was at that game, and the fans tore the place apart, effectively demolishing themselves to take home piece of sports/events history. I got part of a seat still. An evangelical-type revival was scheduled to take place as the last ever event there but I'm not sure it was held, given the state of the arena after the fans finished with it.

 

[Insidious Von]

I did a background check, cancer from tobacco appears to be random. Both Phil Goyette and Dallas Cowboys running back/wide receiver Walt Garrison were heavy smoker and dipper respectively. Both are still alive, Goyette is 88 and Garrison is 77.

Those doctors are full of kaka, Johns Hopkins did an extensive study on chewing tobacco and oral cancer.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/oral-cancer-and-tobacco

 

[Darts]

To answer your question Darts, the old Garden came down in 1968,

I didn't start visiting NYC until the 1990's. So the Garden, the Polo Grounds and Ebbets
Field had all gone.