THURSO, Que. — Chants of "Guy! Guy! Guy!" could be heard from locals gathered Thursday in the western Quebec town of Thurso as Premier François Legault announced the renaming of a provincial highway for late Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur.
"The most beautiful memories I have with my father is sitting down to watch a game, to watch Guy Lafleur play," Legault said of the Habs legend who died in April 2022 at the age of 70 after a battle with lung cancer.
“On the ice, he was like an artist, he was elegant, in addition to being good at hockey," the premier added, referring to Lafleur's long, flowing hair as the legend skated down the ice.
Highway 50 — an east-west route that runs from Gatineau, Que., near Ottawa, to the Mirabel, Que., area, north of Montreal — will now be known as Autoroute Guy-Lafleur. The highway passes through the hockey great's hometown of Thurso, in western Quebec, where Legault joined Lafleur's family members for the announcement.
Legault praised Lafleur's poise and character and pointed to the affinity he had for his hometown.
“He wasn't just good on the ice, he was an exceptional human being too: an accessible man, a generous man, a humble man, close to the world, direct — sometimes too much," Legault said. "And close to his roots, he was proud to say he was from Thurso."
Nicknamed "The Flower" and "le Démon Blond," Lafleur won five Stanley Cups in his Hall of Fame career. Drafted first overall by the Canadiens in 1971, he scored 560 goals and 793 assists for 1,353 points in the regular season over 17 years with Montreal, the New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques.
He still holds a number of Canadiens franchise offensive records and entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988.
Legault noted that Lafleur's accomplishments stoked nationalist fervour in the province. “The most important thing for Quebecers is pride," Legault said. "We had, in Quebec, the best player in the National League."
According to the province's toponymy commission, only names of people who have been deceased for at least one year can be used for memorial purposes.
Several members of the legendary winger's family were on hand, with his son Martin Lafleur taking to the podium to thank officials for the gesture.
“On behalf of the entire Lafleur family, I would like to thank the Quebec government for having officially incorporated my father's name into the rich heritage of our province,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2023.
Pierre Saint-Arnaud, The Canadian Press
