The Flower Passes Away

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He was such a smooth skater and nifty playmaker, not quite as smooth as the great Jean Beliveau, but Lafleur was so much fun to watch. The all time Montreal scoring leader, I saw him play quite a few games in the 70's at the Spectrum in Philly. RIP.
 
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Kept the B's away from the Cup a few times back in the golden age.

Funny story I bought a Mazda 626 from defenseman Don Awrey back in the 90's.
I went into his office and I saw all kinds of hockey memorabilia - I said you must like Hockey, LOL.
Nice guy, but junk car made by Mazda- Ford at the MMM Flat Rock factory.
 
Tony O? Esposito? Give me Jacques Plante or Bernie Parent before his eye injury.
I mentioned Tony O specifically because he too is a hall-of-fame player who overlapped with both Lafleur and Bossy, and who died of cancer in the past year.

Plante was outstanding - when I was younger, the debate was over whether he, Hall, or Sawchuk was the greatest of all time. In his book on the mechanics of goaltending, Plante said that Esposito was (then) the best goaltender in hockey.

Bernie Parent said that he never fully developed as a goaltender until he mentored under Plante in Toronto.

I saw Parent, then playing for the Philadelphia Blazers of the WHA, shut out the Oilers in '72/73.
 
Kept the B's away from the Cup a few times back in the golden age.

Funny story I bought a Mazda 626 from defenseman Don Awrey back in the 90's.
I went into his office and I saw all kinds of hockey memorabilia - I said you must like Hockey, LOL.
Nice guy, but junk car made by Mazda- Ford at the MMM Flat Rock factory.
Was Awrey selling cars? Where was this?
 
Was Awrey selling cars? Where was this?
A Mazda dealer just south of Concord NH, U.S.A.
Grappone Mazda. I think that was back in 1991.
He actually sold me his personal dealer loaner car !
4 door 626 with cranberry paint and dove gray cloth interior and automatic.

Man the paint flaked off of that car and and also got white blotches from "acid rain"
Dealer/Mazda said they don't cover environmental damage.

I think that was once if the first uses of a waterbourn paint process at Flat Rock
 
Can you imagine not playing with a helmet ? When I started playing when had helmets but no cages .

We had this discussion yesterday with our kids and in-laws. The game was very different back then. There was a lot more respect for each other than in today’s sports. The craziest was goalies with no helmets!!! 🤯

It was amazing to watch him skate and his hair blow in the wind. My grandfather was a huge Montreal fan. To this day my second favorite team behind Toronto.

Just my $0.02
 
We had this discussion yesterday with our kids and in-laws. The game was very different back then. There was a lot more respect for each other than in today’s sports. The craziest was goalies with no helmets!!! 🤯

It was amazing to watch him skate and his hair blow in the wind. My grandfather was a huge Montreal fan. To this day my second favorite team behind Toronto.

Just my $0.02
Gordie Howe had a easy goal once but the goalie's face was in the way and he didn't possibly want to hit him so he didn't take the shot. Could you only imagine that now. It was a different. But Gordie one day did beat I believe his name was Ted Kennedy of the Maple leafs to an inch of his death , some say he was asking for it
 
A Mazda dealer just south of Concord NH, U.S.A.
Grappone Mazda. I think that was back in 1991.
He actually sold me his personal dealer loaner car !
4 door 626 with cranberry paint and dove gray cloth interior and automatic.

Man the paint flaked off of that car and and also got white blotches from "acid rain"
Dealer/Mazda said they don't cover environmental damage.

I think that was once if the first uses of a waterbourn paint process at Flat Rock
My wife's parents bought a new '92 626, also from Flat Rock. Beautiful car when new, but it succumbed to rust after around 2005.
 
We had this discussion yesterday with our kids and in-laws. The game was very different back then. There was a lot more respect for each other than in today’s sports. The craziest was goalies with no helmets!!! 🤯

It was amazing to watch him skate and his hair blow in the wind. My grandfather was a huge Montreal fan. To this day my second favorite team behind Toronto.

Just my $0.02
My friend's brother bought a poster of Guy Lafleur, sight unseen, through a print ad in a hockey magazine.

Was he ever disappointed when it arrived and had Guy wearing a helmet, I think the only year he did so.
 
He was such a smooth skater and nifty playmaker, not quite as smooth as the great Jean Beliveau, but Lafleur was so much fun to watch. The all time Montreal scoring leader, I saw him play quite a few games in the 70's at the Spectrum in Philly. RIP.
Saw many a game at the Spectrum as well. What a fantastic venue for hockey it was. It felt like the foundations were shaking when the fans were yelling. All my buddies and I skipped school and headed to JFK the day the Flyers had their parade.

I also remember watching The Flower, among others, from that great team. Sad to hear of his passing.
 
We had this discussion yesterday with our kids and in-laws. The game was very different back then. There was a lot more respect for each other than in today’s sports. The craziest was goalies with no helmets!!! 🤯

It was amazing to watch him skate and his hair blow in the wind. My grandfather was a huge Montreal fan. To this day my second favorite team behind Toronto.

Just my $0.02
Some would say the improved protective equipment has led to a false sense of security, and a lack of respect for opposing players. Contrast, for example, (Gridiron) football and rugby.
 
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