Guy Lafleur is never sure what’s around the next corner.
When his cancer treatments aren’t quite as draining, the Montreal Canadiens great has energy.
And then there are other times when all he wants to do is rest.
“I get the immunotherapy the first three weeks, and then the fourth week I have the big chemo,” Lafleur said of his regimen in a recent interview with The Canadian Press. “It’s the chemotherapy that really hurts you badly. There’s not a week that’s the same. The last two weeks, I was feeling very, very bad and sleeping a lot.
“But the last three days I feel a lot better — a lot of ups and downs.”
A cancerous white spot was discovered on Lafleur’s right lung by chance in September 2019 when he was undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery. Two months later, the Hockey Hall of Fame winger went under the knife again to remove both the upper lobe of his lung and lymph nodes.
“I had no idea,” Lafleur said of his cancer, thankful it was caught early. “I maybe would have ended up with Stage 4 and maybe it would have been too late.”
But he received bad news in October 2020 that the cancer was back, which is when Lafleur began his current treatment.
“There’s not too many people that have a chance to grab it from the beginning,” said the 70-year-old Lafleur, who has partnered with Merck Canada for its new “Be The MVP” campaign to raise awareness about early lung cancer detection.
‘There’s miracles out there’
The Canadian Cancer Society estimates 21,000 people will die of lung cancer in this country in 2021, some 25 per cent of all cancer deaths.
“Most people when they find out, it’s Stage 4,” added Lafleur, a chain smoker until quitting cold turkey due to his health concerns in 2019. “It’s not too late, because there’s miracles out there, and there’s people that are surviving.
“But it’s better to find out yourself.”
Lafleur, who won five Stanley Cups as part of the Canadiens’ dynasty of the 1970s during a sparkling career, continues to watch his old team with a keen eye.
If you don’t have the right players, you’re not going to win.— Guy Lafleur on the Canadiens’ struggles without key veterans Shea Weber and Carey Price
The man nicknamed “The Flower” doesn’t attend many games — although Lafleur did get a thunderous ovation at the Bell Centre during last season’s improbable run to the final — but has been disappointed by a start that’s seen Montreal win just five times in 20 outings to sit 29th in the NHL standings.
“They went for the Stanley Cup and now are almost last place,” said Lafleur, who registered 560 goals and 1,353 points in 1,126 regular-season games with the Canadiens, New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques.
“If you’re not ready and if you don’t have the right players, you’re not going to win.”
Montreal has, of course, been minus two big pieces in 2021-22. Canadiens captain Shea Weber is dealing with injuries that could force his retirement, while goaltender Carey Price entered a residential treatment facility for “substance use” prior to the season and continues to work his way back.
“That’s two big guys missing,” Lafleur said. “But it’s not normal to have losing streaks like that. Even if you’re missing two guys you should be able to compensate.”
While critical of the team’s on-ice performance, Lafleur has plenty of admiration for Price and winger Jonathan Drouin, who left the team last spring to deal with insomnia and anxiety, for addressing their mental health needs — and then sharing details publicly.
“They were hiding it for a while, their problems, but it came out and it’s going to help,” Lafleur said. “First of all, themselves. And also, people will understand what they go through. It’s a good thing.
Gallagher for captain?
“They’re not the only two in the league, I’ll tell you that.”
Lafleur believes the Canadiens need to name a captain, with Weber on the shelf indefinitely. Gritty forward Brendan Gallagher is his choice.
“Right now,” he said emphatically. “Sorry for Shea, but he’s not playing. You need somebody that players look up to.
“And Brendan … he’s the guy that shows up for every game, he pays the price every game.”
Meanwhile, the game’s declining interest among Quebec’s youth has pushed the provincial government to unveil a strategy aimed at increasing the number of Quebecers in the NHL.
Lafleur isn’t part of the committee announced last week, but he has a few ideas.
“Times change,” he said. “Minor hockey, it’s so expensive. For parents to bring their kids up to the junior [level], it’s unbelievable. In our day, we didn’t have that.
“It was not that much money because we didn’t travel much. Minor hockey, it’s organized like the NHL now.”
Lafleur also pointed the finger at some parents.
‘Too much pressure’ on hockey’s youth
“They put so much pressure on the kids,” he said. “They think about winning the lottery if they make [the NHL].
“That’s why a lot of kids are quitting … there’s too much pressure. They have to perform all the time.”
Pressure to perform, however, comes with the territory for a storied franchise with 24 Cup banners.
“You have to go to war together,” Lafleur said of the current Canadiens. “Not one guy one night, two guys the next night. It’s 20 guys on the team, and you go out there and you do everything in your power to win.
“Montreal is the best city in the world to play in, if you win. If you don’t win, it’s hell.”
Lafleur has lived in his own form of that the last 26 months with his surgeries, the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancer’s return, and treatments that can take a heavy toll.
But the support of family, friends and fans — the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League retired his number last month — has been immeasurable.
“I’ve been mostly stuck in the house since 2019,” he said. “Mentally, it’s tough. Hopefully I get through this and get out of it with a victory.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.
The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.
Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.
There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.
Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.
But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.
The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”
The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.
Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.
Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.
Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.
Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.
“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”
“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.
Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.
Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.
The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.
Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.
Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.
Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.
Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.
Canada Roster
Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).
Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).
Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).
Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
