The Night Guy Lafleur Returned As A New York Rangers

Guy Lafleur gave Montreal Canadiens fans countless iconic moments. On one night in 1989, fans in La Belle Province were treated to another Lafleur moment, though the jersey he was wearing wasn’t quite right.

At the near begging of head coach Michel Bergeron, on August 19th, 1988 Guy Lafleur came out of retirement at age 37 and donned a New York Rangers jersey. The one year contract was contingent on his performances in training camp. In modern days, we’d call this a PTO (Professional Tryout).

Lafleur would do well enough to merit a roster spot and would join Gordie Howe at the time as the only player to play after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Mario Lemieux would be the third to do so in 2000.

Hearing the news, fans immediately circled February 4th on their calendar. The Rangers would be in town to face the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum.

Fans were once again in for a treat.

Lafleur would hit the ice for the warm up to an ovation. He would hit the ice again before the beginning of the game to another ovation. He would get two other.

Fans would go home to a 7-5 win of the Canadiens led back then by Pat Burns behind the bench. No one remembers that. All they remember are the two goals Guy Lafleur scored against Patrick Roy sending fans at the old Forum in a frenzy. Never has an opposing player been cheered so loudly when scoring a goal against the Canadiens.

Lafleur was said to be beyond nervous before the game. This is the team he grew up loving. Idolizing Jean Beliveau to a point where he would wear his famed number 4 during his junior years. A number that has been retired across the entire QMJHL in honor of The Flower.

As a child born in the 80’s and growing up in a hockey mad family on all sides, you would constantly hear about Guy Lafleur as if he were some kind of super hero. The man was an international sensation and known by everyone during his prime in the 1970’s.

I called my father (who is also named Guy) this morning and like many hockey fans of his generation, he was mourning the loss of his hockey idol. A man he respected so much and has met on more than one occasion and was just incredibly generous with his time to anyone that came up to him.

My father once asked Lafleur who was signing autographs after a celebrity softball game at Belmont Park in Montreal “Don’t you get bored spending so much time singing autographs and making public appearances?” Lafleur responded with a smile “Never!”  If there were 600 people in line, he would make time for everyone.

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Lafleur would play 67 games that season with the Rangers. He scored 18 goals and added 27 assists for 45 points. That lone season in New York would also be the final NHL season of another future Hall of Famer in Marcel Dionne.

The Rangers would finish 3rd in the Patrick Division and get swept in 4 games in the first round of the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canadiens meanwhile would fall to the Calgary Flames in 6 games in the Stanley Cup Finals.

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