New exhibition traces Guy Lafleur's path to hockey superstardom

Hallie Cotnam · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 17, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

The late, large Guy Lafleur is the taxable of a pop-up accumulation successful Gatineau, Que., that focuses connected his links with the Outaouais and his emergence to superstardom when fans and sports pundits called him "the Flower," "le Démon Blond" and "le Turbo de Thurso."

Born and raised successful Thurso, Que., the beloved hockey leader went connected to smash records and triumph 5 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens. He died astatine 70 connected April 22, 2022, and was laid to remainder successful his hometown where his parent Pierrette, 92, inactive lives.

Historian Alex Hubert is the task manager down the exhibition, Guy Lafleur: From Dream to Legend. He met with Lafleur's mother and sisters and spent "four oregon 5 hours straight" talking to them astir the hockey great's humble beginnings. 

Visitors to the pop-up accumulation tin perceive to audio recordings of Pierrette Lafleur sharing stories astir her son, including however helium utilized to pry unfastened a escaped committee and gaffe into the section arena successful the aboriginal mornings to practise shooting pucks.

Hubert's favourite communicative is astir a 10-year-old Lafleur crossing the frozen Ottawa River connected skis, dragging his hockey cogwheel down him connected a sled, to play peewee hockey successful Rockland, Ont. 

Hubert relayed different communicative about Lafleur's homesickness erstwhile helium was a teen playing for the Remparts in Quebec City. To enactment him, Lafleur's parents borrowed a car, drove to the provincial capital and watched their lad play.

"They didn't person the means to publication a edifice room either, truthful they slept successful the car," said Hubert.

Hubert has nary idiosyncratic memories of Lafleur's playing days, "but my begetter taught maine astir him. I knew helium was fast. His benignant was electrifying."

But le Démon Blond wasn't always a beardown skater. Hubert discovered that Lafleur's school principal, a priest, feared the young subordinate had anemic ankles and suggested exercises to fortify them.

"It worked," said Hubert. 

Hubert, connected behalf of the Musée régional de l'Outaouais, issued a telephone for much Lafleur stories and memorabilia. He spoke with men successful their 70s who played with Lafleur erstwhile they were "eight, 10 or 12 years old."

The mayor's bureau successful Thurso loaned 5 framed jerseys that Lafleur had donated to the city. The Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) successful Toronto dug up an aged hockey container from Lafleur's days with the Quebec Remparts.

"[HHOF curator Phil Pritchard] sent maine a photograph of the bag," said Hubert. "It was, similar I wholly wanted it. I indispensable person it."

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There is simply a "period-appropriate" Habs jersey that a young Lafleur would person received for Christmas, emblazoned with a No. 4 just similar his puerility leader Jean Beliveau. Another show shows a metallic table-top hockey game of the aforesaid vintage a 10-year-old Lafleur would person played. 

Hubert wanted visitors to beryllium capable to effort their manus astatine shooting a puck into a net, but "my manager told maine that mightiness not beryllium specified a bully idea," helium said. (They settled for a Lafleur-themed legume container toss.)

Lafleur was named 1 of the NHL's 100 top players of each time, with 560 goals and 793 assists successful 1,126 games successful his 17 seasons — including a record-breaking six consecutive 50-goal, 100-point seasons (1974-75 done 1979-80).

One interactive diagnostic of the accumulation encourages visitors to constitute down their ain aspirations for the future. A 10-year-old wearing a Team Canada jersey near a enactment that work successful French: "I privation to play for the Canadiens and triumph the Stanley Cup!!" 

"Even large legends similar Guy Lafleur [began] with a thought, a 'maybe,' a dream," said Hubert. "Maybe if you're fortunate enough, you'll be large astatine something like helium was astatine hockey."

Guy Lafleur: From Dream to Legend runs until Aug. 31 astatine Zibi's Panorama Space, 40 rue Jos-Montferrand successful Gatineau.