Guy Damien Lafleur OC CQ (September 20, 1951 – April 22, 2022), nicknamed "the Flower" and "Le Démon Blond", was a Canadian professional ice hockey player.

[8] He gained the nickname "Le Turbo de Thurso" while playing with the Remparts, coined by Radio Canada broadcaster Jean-Bernard Rainville.

[13] Lafleur's obituary on Sportsnet described him as a "Jackson Pollock painting on ice, a frenetic innovator who pushed the boundaries of his art beyond what had ever been conceived, a singularly dynamic force that turned an everyday sight as simple as a man on skates with a puck on his stick into a masterpiece — something you had seen before, perhaps, but never quite like that".

Besides his on-ice artistry, Lafleur was also known for his charisma as he was frequently in demand with the press and fans, with former Montreal Gazette sports columnist Michael Farber saying “Jean Béliveau was magisterial.

[18][19][20] Lafleur was a cornerstone of the Canadiens' four straight Stanley Cup championships from 1976 to 1979, including being named playoff MVP in 1977.

During the 1978 Stanley Cup finals, Boston Bruins head coach Don Cherry ordered his players to put their sticks up and hit Lafleur whenever they encountered him.

[21] After Montreal won the Stanley Cup, he borrowed it for the weekend without telling anyone to show his friends back home in Thurso, where he set it out on his front lawn for all his neighbours to see.

[23] With Ken Dryden, Jacques Lemaire, and several other key players retiring after the conclusion of the 1979 season, the Canadiens' dynasty came to an end with the team losing in the second round of the 1980 playoffs to the Minnesota North Stars in seven games.

[26] While driving home on March 24, 1981, Lafleur fell asleep at the wheel of his Cadillac and crashed into a highway fence.

[29] At first, Lemaire's hiring was seen as a success as he guided the Canadiens to their first playoff series victories since 1980 and reached the Wales Conference Final.

General manager Serge Savard refused Lafleur's request, as trading one of the most popular players in Canadiens history would have incurred a severe backlash from fans and the media.

[33] After being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Lafleur came out of retirement to return to the NHL for three more seasons, from 1988 through 1991, with the New York Rangers and the Quebec Nordiques.

But Bergeron and Phil Esposito, Rangers' General Manager, called back Tremblay to organize a meeting 2 days later in New York.

[33] During his first game back in the Montreal Forum, he received a standing ovation when he came on the ice, and as in his heyday with the Canadiens, the crowd chanted "Guy!

Lafleur scored twice against Patrick Roy, to heavy applause, during the Rangers' 7–5 loss to the Canadiens, and was awarded the first star of the game.

[8] Although his high-scoring days were well behind him, his stint with the Rangers was moderately successful, and he helped the team to first place in the Patrick Division until being knocked out by a knee injury.

[12] Lafleur then followed dismissed Rangers head coach and close friend Michel Bergeron to the Nordiques for his final seasons.

Intending to finish his hockey career in Quebec where he had started, Lafleur reportedly turned down a $1 million offer from the Los Angeles Kings which would have allowed him to play alongside Wayne Gretzky.

[37][38] During Lafleur's final NHL game he was cheered every time he touched the puck and leapt over the boards and received a long standing ovation; the referee for that contest was Paul Stewart (coincidentally Stewart's final NHL game as a player was when his Nordiques played against Lafleur's Canadiens on April 6, 1980).

He was the copilot when the Tampa Bay Lightning's André Roy proposed to his fiancée, the Stanley Cup serving as the engagement ring bearer.

[45] From 2005 to 2008 Lafleur was appointed honorary colonel of 12 Radar Squadron, an air force unit in Bagotville, Quebec.

In 2007 Lafleur's son Mark was arrested for assault, forcible confinement, and other charges, and remained at his father's house as part of his bail conditions.

[49] He filed a $2.8 million civil suit against police and prosecutors, claiming that his rights were violated and his reputation damaged but did not win his case.

[50] Lafleur died on April 22, 2022, at age 70,[51][52] exactly one week after Mike Bossy, who also succumbed to lung cancer (both smoked heavily during their playing days); both were Quebec natives whose contemporary careers as star right-wingers were often compared.

Along with Gordie Howe before him and Mario Lemieux after him, Lafleur is one of only three players to have returned to the NHL after being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.