MONTREAL | Joe Sakic was only 20 years old and he was in his second season in Quebec when Guy Lafleur set foot in the Nordiques locker room.
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“We were a young team, in reconstruction, when Guy Lafleur arrived. For us, it was unreal because we had all seen him play when we were children, when he scored 50 or 60 goals in a Canadiens uniform. We were all excited to find ourselves in the same dressing room as a legend. »
“He took me under his wing. As much as he was a good hockey player, he was a good person. And maybe even more. Despite his status, he made everyone around him feel special. I liked his sense of humor. He was a very good role model for the young people on the team. I watched him interact with the supporters. As a young person, you want to be inspired by a model like him. He was always generous with people. »
Today general manager of the Colorado Avalanche, Sakic took the time to travel to Montreal to pay tribute to the memory of his former teammate even though his team was preparing to open the first round of the playoffs once morest the Predators the same day. of Nashville.
“I wanted to be there, it was just natural,” he replied. I was lucky enough to be a lodger with him on the road. He taught me a lot of stuff, not just on the ice. Guy included everyone, he respected everyone. And that’s why people loved him so much. »
Autographs for hours
In his first season with Lafleur, Sakic achieved star young player status in the NHL with 102 points (39 goals, 63 assists). But on a collective level, the Nordiques did not often win. They had had the worst season in their history with 12 small wins and 31 points in 1989-1990.
“This season weighed on my morale and Guy noticed it, recalled Sakic. After a game on the road, Guy sat with me on the bus and talked to me. I cannot exactly repeat the exact words. There are things that are not said on camera. But he had found the right words to encourage me. »
Sakic had realized even better the extent of the Lafleur phenomenon during a trip to Western Canada.
“I remember our last trip to Western Canada. We were in Winnipeg and we had waited an hour inside the bus. Guy was outside and he was still signing autographs. He might spend 90 minutes or two hours talking with fans and signing autographs. In Edmonton, it was even more. I think he stayed three or four hours following the match. I never forgot that. »
“He stayed close to people. He wanted to make fans happy, he loved people and he had a big heart. We know what he did on the ice. He was a flower. I watched it when I was a kid. The Canadiens were my father’s favorite team in the 70s. Guy was the most exciting player of this dynasty. And I had the chance to play with him early in my career. »
“Guy arrived on the ice 30 minutes before everyone else, even in his last years in Quebec,” he continued. For the first few minutes, I stared at him with wide eyes. But I quickly became friends with him, he had a gift for making you feel good. »
