Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur arrives for the first ever hockey game played at the newly inaugurated Videotron Centre, in Quebec City, on Sept. 12, 2015.Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press
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.
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.
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 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.
“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 Quebeckers 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.
“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.
The French league’s legal commission has ordered Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé the 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages that he claims he’s entitled to, the league said Thursday.
The league confirmed the decision to The Associated Press without more details, a day after the France superstar rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with his former club.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former football star Reggie Bush was at his Encino home Tuesday night when three male suspects attempted to break in, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
“Everyone is safe,” Bush said in a text message to the newspaper.
The Los Angeles Police Dept. told the Times that a resident of the house reported hearing a window break and broken glass was found outside. Police said nothing was stolen and that three male suspects dressed in black were seen leaving the scene.
Bush starred at Southern California and in the NFL. The former running back was reinstated as the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner this year. He forfeited it in 2010 after USC was hit with sanctions partly related to Bush’s dealings with two aspiring sports marketers.
VANCOUVER – A fresh face has been gracing the B.C. Lions‘ highlight reels in recent weeks.
Midway through his second CFL campaign, wide receiver Ayden Eberhardt has contributed touchdowns in two consecutive games.
The 26-year-old wide receiver from Loveland, Colo., was the lone B.C. player to reel in a passing major in his team’s 37-23 victory over the league-leading Montreal Alouettes last Friday. The week before, he notched his first CFL touchdown in the Lions’ win over the Ottawa Redblacks.
“It’s been awesome. It’s been really good,” Eberhardt said of his recent play. “At the end of the day, the biggest stat to me is if we win. But who doesn’t love scoring?”
He’ll look to add to the tally Friday when the Leos (7-6) host the Toronto Argonauts.
Eberhardt signed with B.C. as a free agent in January 2023 and spent much of last season on the practice squad before cementing a role on the roster this year.
The six-foot-two, 195-pound University of Wyoming product has earned more opportunities in his second season, said Lions’ head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell.
“He’s a super hard worker and very smart. He understands, has high football IQ, as we call it,” Campbell said.
The fact that Eberhardt can play virtually every receiving position helps.
“He could literally go into a game and we could throw him into a spot and he’d know exactly what he’s doing,” the coach said. “That allows him to play fast and earn the quarterback’s trust. And you see him making plays.”
Eberhardt credited his teammates, coaches and the rest of the Lions’ staff with helping him prepare for any situation he might face. They’ve all spent time teaching him the ins and outs of the Canadian game, or go over the playbook and run routes after practice, he said.
“I’ve played every single position on our offence in a game in the last two years, which is kind of crazy. But I love playing football,” he said. “I want to play any position that the team needs me to play.”
While B.C.’s lineup is studded with stars like running back William Stanback — who has a CFL-high 938 rushing yards — and wide receiver Justin McInnis — who leads the league in both receiving yards (1,074) and receiving TDs (seven) — versatility has been a critical part of the team’s back-to-back wins.
“I think we’ve got a lot of talented guys who deserve to get the ball and make big plays when they have the ball in their hands. So it’s really my job to get them the ball as much as possible,” said quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“I think that makes it easy when you can lean on those guys and, really, we’re in a situation where anyone can have a big game. And I think that’s a good place to be.”
Even with a talented lineup, the Lions face a tough test against an eager Argos side.
Toronto lost its second straight game Saturday when it dropped a 41-27 decision to Ottawa.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Rourke said. “We’ll have to adjust on the fly to whatever their game plan is. And no doubt, they’ll be ready to go so we’ll have to be as well.”
The two sides have already met once this season when the Argos handed the Lions a 35-27 loss in Toronto back on June 9.
A win on Friday would vault B.C. to the top of the West Division standings, over the 7-6 Winnipeg Blue Bombers who are on a bye week.
Collecting that victory isn’t assured, though, even with Toronto coming in on a two-game skid, Campbell said.
“They’ve hit a little bit of a rut, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “They’re very athletic. And you can really see (quarterback Chad Kelly’s) got zip on the ball. When you see him in there, he can make all the throws. So we’re expecting their best shot.”
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-6) AT B.C. LIONS (7-6)
Friday, B.C. Place
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: The Lions boast a 4-1 home record this season, including a 38-12 victory over the Redblacks at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, B.C., on Aug. 31. The Argos have struggled outside of BMO Field and hold a 1-5 away record. Trips to the West Coast haven’t been easy for Toronto in recent years — since 2003, the club is 4-14 in road games against B.C.
CENTURION: B.C. defensive back Garry Peters is set to appear in his 100th consecutive game. The 32-year-old from Conyers, Ga., is a two-time CFL all-star who has amassed 381 defensive tackles, 19 special teams tackles and 16 interceptions over seven seasons. “Just being on the field with the guys every day, running around, talking trash back and forth, it keeps me young,” Peters said. “It makes me feel good, and my body doesn’t really feel it. I’ve been blessed to be able to play 100 straight.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
