Lafleur's 1980 playoff injury

[LeBlondeDemon10]

I was wondering if anyone can recall the details of his injury and when it happened. I heard that Pat Boutette hit him knee on knee and then I have also heard that he broke an ankle in practice when Chartraw hit him with a shot. He played in all three games of the Hartford series, scoring a goal in the first period of game 3 but then nothing the rest of the game. I'm sure someone out there can fill in the details.

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[Big Phil]

Not sure if it was 1980 or in the 1981 Canada Cup but he got into a car accident where Wayne Gretzky was a passenger. Lafleur was so destructive off the ice he derailed the latter half of his career.

 

[Staniowski]

Not sure if it was 1980 or in the 1981 Canada Cup but he got into a car accident where Wayne Gretzky was a passenger. Lafleur was so destructive off the ice he derailed the latter half of his career.

I don't remember the accident with Gretzky, but I do remember Lafleur's March 1981 car accident, where he fell asleep at the wheel and some type of steel pole came through the windshield, it could have killed him but just skimmed his head, I think.

 

[Habs10Habs]

I don't remember the accident with Gretzky, but I do remember Lafleur's March 1981 car accident, where he fell asleep at the wheel and some type of steel pole came through the windshield, it could have killed him but just skimmed his head, I think.

How he didn't die in this accident is a miracle.

 

[Staniowski]

I was wondering if anyone can recall the details of his injury and when it happened. I heard that Pat Boutette hit him knee on knee and then I have also heard that he broke an ankle in practice when Chartraw hit him with a shot. He played in all three games of the Hartford series, scoring a goal in the first period of game 3 but then nothing the rest of the game. I'm sure someone out there can fill in the details.

I don't remember the details of the injury, but this 1980 SI article mentions it. Apparently, he was going to play in the next round, if they'd won.

LES CANADIENS ARE LAID TO REST

 

[wetcoast]

I don't remember the accident with Gretzky, but I do remember Lafleur's March 1981 car accident, where he fell asleep at the wheel and some type of steel pole came through the windshield, it could have killed him but just skimmed his head, I think.

I remember seeing a clip of that on tv but Lafleur was just such a cool guy.

Like James Bond he might have a close shave here and there he always came out looking like a guy on top.

 

[Gambitman]

How he didn't die in this accident is a miracle.

Wow. I had heard the accident described but have never seen this photo. This belongs in the “great photos” thread.

 

[Habs10Habs]

Wow. I had heard the accident described but have never seen this photo. This belongs in the “great photos” thread.

I saw this picture as a kid when it happened. It's been close to 40 yrs and it still freaks me out.

Here's a picture from the front of the car.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Apparently that pole through the windshield took off part of Lafleur's ear. My friends used to tease me that Lafleur tried to pierce his ear with a telephone pole.

 

[The Panther]

Was Lafleur quite a party-boy back in the disco era? I mean, he made a disco record...

 

[Iron Mike Sharpe]

I saw this picture as a kid when it happened. It's been close to 40 yrs and it still freaks me out.

Here's a picture from the front of the car.

pfffft... that's nothing compared to playing the Flyers

 

[JianYang]

Was Lafleur quite a party-boy back in the disco era? I mean, he made a disco record...

Yeah, there seems to be alot stories about him and the party lifestyle.

He'd be a good guest to get on a podcast like spittin chiclets if he opens up.

 

[Moose Head]

Yes, Lafleur was kneed by Boutette. Dirty play. First of a series of circumstances that took away the biggest edge he had on the pack, his speed. He was always about speed. Once he lost it, he just couldn’t or didn’t know how to reinvent himself like others have been able to. Up to that point, I think I only saw one player as a better skater, Bobby Orr.

 

[The Panther]

Yes, Lafleur was kneed by Boutette. Dirty play. First of a series of circumstances that took away the biggest edge he had on the pack, his speed. He was always about speed. Once he lost it, he just couldn’t or didn’t know how to reinvent himself like others have been able to. Up to that point, I think I only saw one player as a better skater, Bobby Orr.

Interesting. I'd read in some places that Lafleur was mainly known for his blinding speed when he was young and in his early prime years. I read some player's memory of joining the NHL in the mid-70s (can't recall who it was now), and he said he just couldn't handle the speed of Guy Lafleur, who was the fastest guy he'd ever seen in his life.

(I never saw Lafleur player except when he was old and sluggish with NYR and Quebec.)

 

[tinyzombies]

Yes, Lafleur was kneed by Boutette. Dirty play. First of a series of circumstances that took away the biggest edge he had on the pack, his speed. He was always about speed. Once he lost it, he just couldn’t or didn’t know how to reinvent himself like others have been able to. Up to that point, I think I only saw one player as a better skater, Bobby Orr.

This might have been a carryover from when Boutette was a Leaf. THey had a few bitter series in 78 and 79. There's video of Boutette attacking Lafleur in a 79 game when he was a Leaf. Tremblay fought him in the same game (and lost).

 

[The Panther]

I liked Lafleur's comment:

"If I were 35 and in the last year of my contract," Lafleur said, "maybe I'd go out and skate on one leg. But I'm only 28. I don't want to end up like Bobby Orr. It's more important for me to play for this team another five years than for us to win another Cup."

It's interesting for two reasons:
-- No player in later eras would dare be this honest with the media and say his own career and health was more important than the Cup
-- There's an unfortunate irony to his comment, because 40 years later all we hear is that "Lafleur had only six great seasons" and this moment he's being quoted is end of those six. Maybe he should have played on one leg after all...?

 

[johan f]

Also, in spring 1981 at Worldchampionships in Gothenburg, Lafleur got heavily leveled by Rick Van Gogh from Holland. Guy had just arrived from Canada, jetlagged probably, stepped on ice for his first game in the tournament and got just run over by the dutch player (who is canadian with dutch citizenship). One of the biggest hits I’ve ever seen.

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