Guy Lafleur, the dynamic, freewheeling wing who helped lead the dynastic Montreal Canadiens to five Stanley Cup championships in the 1970s, including four in a row, died on Friday near Montreal. He was 70.
The Canadiens announced his death but did not give a cause. A cigarette smoker during his playing career, Lafleur had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
Lafleur was a magician on ice, a creative force who could deftly split defenses. He was the first player in National Hockey League history to score at least 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons — a streak that was topped by the 136 points (56 goals and 80 assists) he totaled in the 1977-78 season.
He amassed 560 goals and 793 assists over 17 seasons, 14 of them with the Canadiens, one with the New York Rangers and two with the Quebec Nordiques. He won the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in scoring three times, and the Hart Memorial Trophy twice, as the N.H.L.’s most valuable player. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada wrote on Twitter that Lafleur “was unlike anyone else on the ice,” adding, “His speed, skill and scoring were hard to believe.”
Lafleur’s death comes a week after that of another great scorer, Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders.
A complete obituary will be published shortly.
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