These are the wonderful words of American poet Maya Angelou who best summarize the love story experienced by hockey fans, and more specifically among Quebeckers, with Guy Lafleur.

The Blond Demon has scored thousands of goals in his life, including 560 in the NHL and 314 in the junior ranks. Of course, no one definitely remembers every act of Lafleur he witnessed.

Over the years, Lafleur has also made many controversial statements on all sorts of topics. What exactly did he say that Ronald Corey fired him as a manu militari in 1985? For most team supporters, the genre stages aren’t just vivid memories.

On the other hand, when Guy Lafleur left us, most of those who saw him play still have precise memories of what they felt when they saw him receive a pass in the neutral zone on the right side, with the strip on full speed. with wind in the hair and defeated the opposing goalkeeper with a powerful slap from the side of the opposite pole.

As a bonus, for those lucky enough to attend games at the Forum rather than at the Soirée du hockey, Lafleur’s magnetism is transmitted by the roar of the crowd, stamping their feet every time he touches the washer.

Finally, even if they don’t remember Guy Lafleur’s statements in detail, many people, with affection, retain the memory of someone who said what he thought and never retracted.

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There are heroes or superstars whose fame slowly grows over long years of hard work. But Lafleur seems to have been born with the extraordinary gift of dazzling people.

In the early 1960s, at the age of 11, when he was of mosquito age, he was already filling the Coliseum stands at the famous Quebec pee-wee tournament. For three consecutive winters, he was the undisputed star of this event.

And every Sunday afternoon, in his village of Thurso, the arena stands are filled with people who come to see him play.

In his biography of Lafleur entitled Shadow and lightGeorges-Hébert Germain wrote that it was because of their son’s fascination with their neighbors and fellow citizens that Réjean and Pierrette Lafleur realized that Guy had a unique talent.

A welder, his father didn’t really attend Guy’s fights until strangers started to greet him and tell him about his son’s exploits.

The popularity of this child is extraordinary.

Last year, a few weeks before his death, his former teammate Gilles Lupien told me that when he grew up in Brownsburg, but located 75 kilometers from Thurso, he always heard about Lafleur. And how many times has he also dreamed that one day he would have the opportunity to play on the same team like this phenomenon.

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Aside from his immense talent as a hockey player and his luxurious style, Guy Lafleur is fascinated because he is, in a way, an imperfect superstar. Moreover, his relationship with the Canadiens was not always smooth and his heart often revolved between Quebec and Montreal.

Lafleur loved Quebec City and his friends there during his years at As and the Remparts. In Quebec, he felt and appreciated.

In 1969, to prevent Guy Lafleur from leaving Quebec junior hockey for the sake of the Ontario league (like most top prospects at the time), Paul Dumont gathered a group of businessmen to roll down the walls. He wanted to reassure Lafleur about the quality of the environment that would be offered to him to refine his talent.

Lafleur’s decision changed the trajectory of Quebec hockey. The Remparts adventure proved successful. The team won the Memorial Cup and the credibility of the new Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is highly dependent on these victories.

But when Lafleur arrived in Montreal in 1971, the rookie saw no connection to his adopted city. So he took advantage of any free time to return to Quebec. And sometimes he quickly goes back there if we trust the legend that he was able to cross the distance between two cities, from bridge to bridge, in less than an hour.

Some of those close to him had to step in and emphasize to him the importance of domestication in Montreal and feeling happy there if he wanted to be successful there.

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In 1973, when Canadian leaders learned that the Nordiques of the new World Hockey Association (WHA) were courting Béliveau’s successor, they submitted a 10-year contract offer to him. However, Lafleur immediately regretted accepting this contract. He felt that pressure had been placed on him to quickly sign a proposal that he thought was no more lucrative than that offered by Nordiques.

He was then represented by Gerry Patterson, Jean Béliveau’s former agent. And the latter is already a member of CH management …

In Montreal, Lafleur met the woman of his life, Lise Barré, who hails from Quebec. He also became a member of the jet set. She often visits stars like Gilles Villeneuve and Mireille Mathieu. And politicians want them to be photographed with him. He also represents prestigious brands in ads.

He climbed to the top of the hockey world. From 1974 to the early 1980s, he had six consecutive 50+ goal seasons. During this time, he scored 83 points more than his closest chaser, Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings.

But in 1978, five years after signing his famous contract, a Toronto daily published the salaries of top NHL players and Lafleur’s name appeared until the 15th. According to the daily, Lafleur received $ 180,000 while players like Marcel Dionne and Gilbert Perreault earned about $ 325,000.

Imagine the insult felt by the best forward on the best team in hockey history!

In November 1978, Lafleur threatened to strike before a game in Toronto and the Canadian management agreed to adjust his contract.

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It was after the fourth consecutive Cup, in 1979, that his relationship with the CH organization became more complicated.

Several key members of the team and organization have left, including Jacques Lemaire, Ken Dryden, Scotty Bowman and Sam Pollock. And Lafleur isn’t shy about criticizing his new coaches, including Claude Ruel, and the new management.

He is also not shy to go out to bars. The official version always wished he had just fallen asleep at the steering wheel during the road accident that nearly cost him his life in March 1981. Instead, his biographer said he spent a drunken night in the center – ville, and those friends. tried in vain to stop him from driving.

In the fall of 1984, after a 30-goal season, Lafleur continued to be benched by his coach and former linemate, Jacques Lemaire. He has had enough. He decided to retire and accept an ambiguous position on the second floor of the Forum. But, ten months later, he regretted this whim and, unsatisfied with his fate, he defeated the organization in an interview given to Bertrand Raymond.

He was immediately fired by President Ronald Corey.

Then it was necessary to wait four years before he made a spectacular comeback and returned to success in the Forum. There is a Rangers jersey on his back and Michel Bergeron by his side.

Lafleur ended his career in two seasons in the Quebec Nordiques uniform. To be full circle, there is no better place for him. His penultimate match was played at the Forum on March 30, 1991. He took the opportunity to score his final goal.

Either you have a sense of showmanship or not.

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Geoff Molson was moved to remember Guy Lafleur. And he said it became important for him, when he bought the team in 2009, to give this legend a place in the Canadian organization by entrusting him with the role of ambassador.

The owner of CH made the reporters smile by pointing out that Lafleur knows no clichés and that he always speaks from his heart. Those who followed close to the team, however, knew that Geoff Molson himself often jumped when he read the unattractive statements Lafleur made about the Canadian’s performance!

During this super busy life, Guy Lafleur was an athlete and a bigger than life character. He gave everything to his audience. And he was responsible for everything he did and everything he said.

The world of hockey and Quebec have lost a monument. Those who have had the opportunity to see Guy Lafleur play or get to know him will never forget how he felt about them.