Guy Lafleur is never sure what鈥檚 around the next corner.
When his cancer treatments aren鈥檛 quite as draining, the Montreal Canadiens great has energy.
And then there are other times when all he wants to do is rest.
鈥淚 get the immunotherapy the first three weeks, and then the fourth week I have the big chemo,鈥� Lafleur said of his regimen in a recent interview with The Canadian Press. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the chemotherapy that really hurts you badly. There鈥檚 not a week that鈥檚 the same. The last two weeks, I was feeling very, very bad and sleeping a lot.
鈥淏ut the last three days I feel a lot better 鈥� a lot of ups and downs.鈥�
A cancerous white spot was discovered on Lafleur鈥檚 right lung by chance in September 2019 when he was undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery. Two months later, the Hockey Hall of Fame winger went under the knife again to remove both the upper lobe of his lung and lymph nodes.
鈥淚 had no idea,鈥� Lafleur said of his cancer, thankful it was caught early. 鈥淚 maybe would have ended up with Stage 4 and maybe it would have been too late.鈥�
But he received bad news in October 2020 that the cancer was back, which is when Lafleur began his current treatment.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not too many people that have a chance to grab it from the beginning,鈥� said the 70-year-old Lafleur, who has partnered with Merck Canada for its new 鈥淏e The MVP鈥� campaign to raise awareness about early lung cancer detection.
The Canadian Cancer Society estimates 21,000 people will die of lung cancer in this country in 2021 鈥� some 25 per cent of all cancer deaths.
鈥淢ost people when they find out, it鈥檚 Stage 4,鈥� added Lafleur, a chain smoker until quitting cold turkey due to his health concerns in 2019. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not too late, because there鈥檚 miracles out there, and there鈥檚 people that are surviving.
鈥淏ut it鈥檚 better to find out yourself.鈥�
Lafleur, who won five Stanley Cups as part of the Canadiens鈥� dynasty of the 1970s during a sparkling career, continues to watch his old team with a keen eye.
The man nicknamed 鈥淭he Flower鈥� doesn鈥檛 attend many games 鈥� although Lafleur did get a thunderous ovation at the Bell Centre during last season鈥檚 improbable run to the final 鈥� but has been disappointed by a start that鈥檚 seen Montreal win just five times in 20 outings to sit 29th in the NHL standings.
鈥淭hey went for the Stanley Cup and now are almost last place,鈥� said Lafleur, who registered 560 goals and 1,353 points in 1,126 games with the Canadiens, New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e not ready and if you don鈥檛 have the right players, you鈥檙e not going to win.鈥�
Montreal has, of course, been minus two big pieces in 2021-22. Canadiens captain Shea Weber is dealing with injuries that could force his retirement, while goaltender Carey Price entered a residential treatment facility for 鈥渟ubstance use鈥� prior to the season and continues to work his way back.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 two big guys missing,鈥� Lafleur said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 not normal to have losing streaks like that. Even if you鈥檙e missing two guys you should be able to compensate.鈥�
While critical of the team鈥檚 on-ice performance, Lafleur has plenty of admiration for Price and winger Jonathan Drouin, who left the team last spring to deal with insomnia and anxiety, for addressing their mental health needs 鈥� and then sharing details publicly.
鈥淭hey were hiding it for a while, their problems, but it came out and it鈥檚 going to help,鈥� Lafleur said. 鈥淔irst of all, themselves. And also people will understand what they go through. It鈥檚 a good thing.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not the only two in the league, I鈥檒l tell you that.鈥�
Lafleur believes the Canadiens need to name a captain, with Weber on the shelf indefinitely. Gritty forward Brendan Gallagher is his choice.
鈥淩ight now,鈥� he said emphatically. 鈥淪orry for Shea, but he鈥檚 not playing. You need somebody that players look up to.
鈥淎nd Brendan 鈥� he鈥檚 the guy that shows up for every game, he pays the price every game.鈥�
Meanwhile, the game鈥檚 declining interest among Quebec鈥檚 youth has pushed the provincial government to unveil a strategy aimed at increasing the number of Quebecers in the NHL.
Lafleur isn鈥檛 part of the committee announced last week, but he has a few ideas.
鈥淭imes change,鈥� he said. 鈥淢inor hockey, it鈥檚 so expensive. For parents to bring their kids up to the junior (level), it鈥檚 unbelievable. In our day, we didn鈥檛 have that.
鈥淚t was not that much money because we didn鈥檛 travel much. Minor hockey, it鈥檚 organized like the NHL now.鈥�
Lafleur also pointed the finger at some parents.
鈥淭hey put so much pressure on the kids,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey think about winning the lottery if they make (the NHL).
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why a lot of kids are quitting 鈥� there鈥檚 too much pressure. They have to perform all the time.鈥�
Pressure to perform, however, comes with the territory for a storied franchise with 24 Cup banners.
鈥淵ou have to go to war together,鈥� Lafleur said of the current Canadiens. 鈥淣ot one guy one night, two guys the next night. It鈥檚 20 guys on the team, and you go out there and you do everything in your power to win.
鈥淢ontreal is the best city in the world to play in, if you win. If you don鈥檛 win, it鈥檚 hell.鈥�
Lafleur has lived in his own form of that the last 26 months with his surgeries, the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancer鈥檚 return, and treatments that can take a heavy toll.
But the support of family, friends and fans 鈥� the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League retired his number last month 鈥� has been immeasurable.
鈥淚鈥檝e been mostly stuck in the house since 2019,鈥� he said. 鈥淢entally, it鈥檚 tough. Hopefully I get through this and get out of it with a victory.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the hope for everybody that has cancer.鈥�
鈥擩oshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
